The Witches of Lugnica: Twisted Desires
by scud ripper
Summary: Set in AU Victorian/Steampunk Lugnica where Satella and Echidna struggle to achieve their goals and desires. As the world around them begins to crumble, and as mysteries come to light, will they be able to find common ground, and together walk towards an unknown but promising future? Or will they destroy each other, fulfilling the fate set in stone and continuing the endless cycle?
1. Intro Chapter: Meet the Witches!

**Synopsis / Extended Summary**

The crafty Echidna leads a team of girls who moonlight as the mythical witches known as the Witches of Lugnica.

A young half-elf, Satella, was once a friend and a member of the witches before she was forced to betray them to their pursuer, the Sage Flugel of Pleiades Corps.

However, by either sheer luck or a cruel twist of fate, Flugel offers the witches a Contract instead of turning them in; from now on, they are to work under his command in exchange for their lives.

This marks the start of a dark rollercoaster ride.

As Satella's precious everyday life begins to crumble around her, she tries to regain the trust of her friends, protect her love for the boy Natsuki Subaru, keep her sister, Emilia, safe from impending dangers, and unravel the surrounding mysteries that threaten to destroy her life. But in order to do so, she must find common ground with Echidna, the girl who had always treated her with hostility and disgust for reasons unknown.

Will they be able to put aside their differences and work together?

or

Will they get swallowed in the endless cycle of turmoil and destroy each other?

* * *

 **Intro Chapter: Meet the Witches of Lugnica**

March 21 | 07:00  
The Witches' Hideout

"Betty will go over the mission details, I suppose," announced a girl named Beatrice.

Beatrice is a petite blonde with a hair composed of two twin drills. She dons a red frilly dress with a large ribbon attached to the left side of her hips. Moreover, in order to establish her inner "teacher" mode, she wears a pair of lens-less glasses and carries a lecture stick in her right hand.

In front of her, she's addressing the six girls settled around the roundtable.

Echidna, a girl with a long snow-white hair, wearing a white blouse and a mid-length black skirt, sits on the front alongside the blonde Minerva who wears a sleeveless white shirt, a blue miniskirt, and hair tied in a ponytail. Their respective intellectual black eyes and determined blue eyes are solely focused on the little girl speaking.

The middle of the table is occupied by Sekhmet and Typhon. Sekhmet is a woman with an abnormally long unkempt magenta hair and she's dressed sloppily in long black robes. Typhon is a young, petite girl with a green bob cut hair and she's sporting a youthful white dress.

Unlike Echidna and Minerva, these two don't seem to be paying attention. As usual, Sekhmet is slumped over the table, indulging in her beauty sleep while Typhon's ruby colored eyes glimmer joyfully as she hums a tune to herself.

On the backside of the table sat Carmilla and Daphne. Carmilla is a modest girl with pink hair and a face of pure innocence. She's dressed in a long white coat with a big green scarf wrapped on top of her shoulders. Lastly, Daphne is a gray-haired middle schooler wearing a black sleeveless shirt and a blindfold covering her eyes.

Like Sekhmet and Typhon, they don't seem to be paying attention either. Daphne is too busy eating cookies and biscuits, while Carmilla appears to be lost in her thoughts.

Together, the six of them, seven before the past month, form a group known as [The Witches of Lugnica]. The main goal of the group is to hunt down certain corrupt officials and influential figures throughout the kingdom. Supposedly, no one even knows why they engage in activities that would go along the lines of a political activist with the exception of Echidna. As the creator and leader of the group, she's the only one who knows the true purpose of the group.

The others are, more or less, just there for the ride.

Moreover, the reason why Echidna insisted on calling themselves witches, of all things, provides another strange mystery. The others would have preferred if they went with a more colorful or light-hearted name such as _The Magical Girls of Lugnica._

Regardless, because they operate in the dark, their actions resulted in "witch rumors" to spread throughout the kingdom. Furthermore, their activities have even sparked countless debates whether they're real or just a myth.

The populace's confusion is somewhat of a source of amusement for the girls.

Unfortunately for them, however, their free reign as the enigmatic witches came to an end when the Sage of Pleiades Corps, Flugel, solved the witch mysteries and captured them one month ago.

After their capture, one would expect the Sage to hand them over to the authorities. Perhaps, their secrets would have been exposed to the land. They probably would have been burned at a stake for all to see, even! After all, historically, the kingdom isn't fond of witches. Anyone who claims to be a witch usually results in an arrest.

And yet, what Flugel did was unexpected. He struck a Contract with them, stating he would rather not hand them in and vowing to keep their identities a secret. In exchange, he asks for their mutual cooperation. He wanted them to help him with his job; to solve bizarre mysteries and protect the kingdom from the occult.

Ultimately, they didn't have any other choice and accepted the Contract, which is how they find themselves in the present situation.

"The Witches of Lugnica had been assigned its first mission under the Sage of Pleiades Corps," Beatrice continued on. "The main objective of the mission is to rescue a hostage whom we shall refer to as [Frost], I suppose. [Frost] had been kidnapped by a man during yesterday's noon, in fact. A man whom we shall refer to as [Black Greed], I suppose."

"Uunnn~! Mhhhhhhh~! Ommmm~! Nommmmmm~! Yuuuummm~!" expressed the voracious Daphne as she chomped on her food.  
"Huu… haa…. Huu… haa…" silently snored the sleeping Sekhmet.  
"Hmmm~ mhm~ mhhh~ mhm~," hummed the merry Typhon.  
And Carmilla is twiddling around with her fingers for whatever reason.

"Grrrrr…" Beatrice grimaced and grumbled silently. It's beginning to be a challenge for her to continue while more than half of the witches are slacking off. She had to clench her fists to prevent herself from losing it.

Beatrice sighed and cleared her throat to regain everyone's attention… or rather, Echidna and Minerva's attention, the only two who are actually paying attention.

"Betty would appreciate if everyone shows some manners, I suppose." She said with the intention of catching the rude insects' attention. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "Moving on, [Black Greed] used to be a mere common man before he found fortune. Throughout the years, he gained tremendous wealth, married many women, and he even purchased a castle. To obtain such _possessions_ seemingly out of nowhere, how did it happen, I wonder? Betty senses a foul play, I suppose. Back to the main point, it appears [Black Greed]'s goal for taking [Frost] hostage is to force her hand in marriage… i-"

"Uuunn~. Mhhhhh~! Shooo ghoood~! Shaynks fhoor jhee chreattt, Jhona-Jhona~!" A mouthful Daphne failed to speak coherently.  
"Huu… haa…. Huu… haa..." sleeping Sekhmet continued her silent snoring.  
"Hmmm~ mhm~ mhhh~ mhm~," merry Typhon continued humming.  
And Carmilla is still lost in her own world, twiddling with her fingers.

"Moving on, I suppose!" A frustrated Beatrice almost shouted. Her boiling point crept closer by the second. "[Frost] must be recovered before the marriage, I suppose. It will not be an easy task, regrettably. The Elior faction had been searching for [Frost] since yesterday to no avail, in fact. [Black Greed] desperately wants this wedding to go through. To make sure the marriage goes through without a hitch, he sponsored countless weddings throughout the entire city as a diversion... I suppose... as well as…"

"Hmmmmmmm~! Ommmmmmmmmmm~! Yummmmmm~! Hmmm~!"  
"Huu… haa…. huu… haa…"  
"Hmmm~ mhm~ mhhh~ mhm~"

"Grrr..." Beatrice finally had enough.

She walks to the blackboard, grabs four pieces of chalk and…

"THAT'S ENOUGH, I SUPPOSE!" She launched one chalk each at Sekhmet, Daphne, Typhon, and Carmilla. "To not pay attention when someone is speaking! How rude, I suppose!"

The sleeping Sekhmet nonchalantly catches the chalk without even looking... or waking up, for that matter. Typhon skillfully dodges by ducking her head down. Daphne snags the chalk in mid-air and quickly tosses it inside her mouth.

"Eek!" The only one to get hit by the chalk, Carmilla, yelped in surprise. She frantically searched the room for the chalk-throwing culprit, her body trembling in a rather disturbing manner. "Heeh... eeh... heh... eeeh... hehhh..."

"Uunnn... hard powder milk still tastes as weird as ever… but..." Daphne commented as she swallowed the chalk. "'Tis not bad! Not bad at all~! Thanks for the treat, Bea-Bea~."

"Betty is sooo~ good at throwing! That thing was going to hit my head, you know! That's an act of eviiil~, you know." Typhon chimed in with a happy grin. "Even so, I don't believe Betty is a bad girl~."

Typhon hops down her chair and skips over to Carmilla. Once there, she gently rubs the spot where the pinkette got hit.

"Although, poor Milla."  
"Oww… oww…"  
Thanks to Typhon's comfort, Carmilla managed to calm down.

"Betty is done, I suppose. Stupid, useless, witches…" Beatrice muttered to herself with a deep frown. After her silent complaint, she settles herself on the front table and pouts.

"You did a good job, Beatrice. Don't mind them too much." Echidna praised the petite girl in an attempt to reduce her grumpiness.

It was a success as receiving praise from the person she admires the most brought a relieved smile to Beatrice's face.

"If onee-chan says so, Betty will be fine."

"You will get used to this, eventually."

Although Beatrice had already met the witches before, this is only her first job as an associate of the team since becoming some sort of an informant for them, a role that Echidna used to hold among many others.

At first, Echidna showed heavy opposition against her involvement with the witches' activities, claiming it's too dangerous. However, Beatrice kept persisting, stating she wanted to help out and lessen Echidna's burden especially after their last mission, where they were captured by Flugel, ended up in a disaster. Eventually, her stubbornness, along with some "assistance" from certain members, paid off. There are some conditions, of course. For example, if everything gets out of hand, she's to withdraw and cut all ties with the group.

Nevertheless, unknown to Beatrice until today, the witches are always too preoccupied doing their own thing to pay attention to "trivial" matters such as mission briefing. It doesn't matter whether it's Beatrice or Echidna leading the discussion, the end product remains the same; a useless waste of time.

"It will always be like this, I suppose."

"Right. And like always, we'll figure out a way to solve the present situation… somehow."

"As long as onee-chan is around, everything will be fine, I suppose."

"You have too much faith in this wicked girl, Betty." Minerva intruded in their conversation. "I advise you not to blindly follow whatever this sly girl says."

"Betty believes onee-chan is the only useful witch, I suppose."

"Ow. H-how can you say something so mean, Betty?! You don't like us very much, do you?!"

Beatrice crossed her arms with a "Hmph!"

Echidna takes another sip out of her cup.

"Actually, she likes all of you. That's just… her unique way of expressing her affections, I guess."

"T-that's not true, I suppose!" Beatrice's cheeks turned slightly red in denial of Echidna's words.

"Betty is cuuute~! A cute girl is not evil. Therefore, Betty is not a bad girl~. I'm relieved!"  
"Daphne wouldn't mind sharing a meal with Bea-Bea, you know!"  
Asserted by Beatrice's fellow middle-schoolers, Typhon and Daphne.

"Really? Heheh," asked Minerva with a giggle. "Come on, there's no need to be shy! You should just be honest and open with your feelings!"

"B-Betty had enough for today, I suppose! Betty is going back to the orphanage and teach that foolish girl Lewes some manners, in fact. So she may never end up annoying like useless witches! G-good luck with the mission, I suppose! All of you better come back alive if you don't want Betty to insult you in death, I suppose!"

With a flustered face, Beatrice stands up and quickly struts out of the hideout.

"Seriously, what a cute, adorable girl," expressed Minerva with a pleasant smile.

On the other hand, Echidna doesn't look all too pleased.

"Well, congratulations. Now that most of you have rendered my dearest assistant's briefing useless, which I take as a direct insult towards me, by the way, I suppose it falls on my responsibility to get everyone on the same page... again."

"... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be rude to Beatrice... I just lost focus... that's all..." Carmilla apologized.

"Ahahaha, you always lose focus, Milla~. That's why you got hit in the head. You really have a bad attention span, you know~." Typhon said to Carmilla before turning to Echidna. "And stop lying to yourself, Dona. Dona loves explaining and showing off, you know~."

"Well, that's true, generally speaking... but seriously, time is running short. We need to retrieve that girl before the marriage. As much as I would rather not partake in this mission, we don't run the show anymore. The Sage does." Echidna reminded them of the Sage's conditions when they agreed to the Contract one month ago. Then, she turned to Minerva. "Please, if you would so kindly wake up Sekhmet."

"Sure!"

Minerva walked to where Sekhmet was slumped over the table. She exercised her fists for a few seconds and...

"WAAAKKKEEEEE UUUUUPPPP!" Her shriek was accompanied by a booming punch to the table.

Minerva's renowned deadly shriek-and-punch combo was a success; Sekhmet awakens with an annoyed groan.

"Haa..." Sekhmet sluggishly raised herself. "You didn't have to be so obnoxiously loud... huu... this early in the morning…"

"Hey! Do you have any idea how hard it is to wake you up?!"

"Good morning, mom!" Typhon happily greeted Sekhmet, a woman she refers to as a 'mother.'

"Haa... good morning, Typhon, and everyone... huu..."

Echidna snaps her fingers to call for everyone's attention.

"So, now that the great Sekhmet has awakened, is everyone ready to get started?"

 **"** Yes, yes, Daphne is ready now." Daphne shoved the final piece of biscuit into her mouth. Then, she looked at Echidna with a grin. "Soooo~, what was the whole point of the mission again? It was something about a man named [Black Greed] and a girl named [Frost], right~? They're having a nasty argument over which food they should consume at the banquet after their wedding, right~? And that's where we come in! It's our job to sample the whole banquet and help them choose the appropriate meal, riiigggghht~?!"

A sigh. A sigh that contained a thousand unspoken words of frustration.

That was Echidna's one and only appropriate response.

* * *

After Echidna provided a brief and concise summary of the objective, the witches dressed in their mission getups.

Echidna dons a black slim capelet coat extending to her thighs. In addition, she also sports a black beret and she hangs a black facemask around her neck, ready to be used at moment's notice.

Sekhmet wears a black long trench coat. And in contrast to her black, Typhon goes for a white trench coat.

Daphne exhibits a hoodie jacket with cat ears made entirely out of thick animal fur. Furthermore, her blindfold was also replaced by pitch black goggles.

Carmilla is dressed in a light pink double-breasted frock coat and a red scarf wrapped around her neck.

Finally, Minerva opts for a sporty blue shirt that exposes her mid-drift along with a long white coat draped over. Her outfit looks radically different from the others. In fact, it makes her stand out. She had actually been accused of being an attention seeker by certain members, in which she immediately denied with anger. In the end, Carmilla states "it's a good fit" for her. Thus, because Carmilla is the only one who has an ounce of interest when it comes to fashion like a normal teenage girl, no one can really say anything about it.

"Haa… for _her_ sister to have been kidnapped… this is a serious matter… huu… I never expected our first mission under Flugel to be something like this… haa… how troublesome…" The drowsy Sekhmet complained slightly.

"It doesn't matter whether Flugel instructed us to do this or not! We would have acted either way!" claimed Minerva.

"Huu… I suppose you're right… haa… this is something of a personal issue, after all…"

"No, I disagree," Echidna joined in with her apparent disagreement. "This is nothing personal to us. At least, not anymore. At some point, all of us need to get over the fact _she's_ not one of us anymore."

The _she_ they're discussing is, of course, Satella, a former member of the witches. She was one of them until one month ago. On the very same mission they were captured by Flugel, Satella led them to the trap Flugel set up herself. Until now, her motive behind her treachery remains a mystery.

It was rather puzzling for the girls except for Echidna, who claimed she expected Satella to show "her ugly colors" at some point. The rest, however, was saddened and disappointed because they considered Satella to be a good friend. Conversely, they thought Satella felt the same way about them. Additionally, she had never shown any sign of malice that would indicate her impending "betrayal." Thus, whether it's due to delusion or trust, they believe there's something more to the story.

"You know, Dona-Dona, you always have that disgusting look on your face every time we speak about Tella-Tella." Daphne pointed out with a grin.

"Dona has always been a meanie to Tella, you know~. Even though Tella is such a sweet, nice girl, you know~." Typhon joined in. "Is it because you're evil, Dona?"

As the two youngest of the group alluded to, Echidna has never been fond of Satella, even before the latter's so-called betrayal. Ever since the two first met, it's nothing but hostilities on Echidna's side despite the half-elf's numerous attempt to pacify her. As always, no one knows the reason behind Echidna's behavior.

"I'm guessing you're probably going to use this situation as an opportunity to pile your hatred even more against her." Minerva accused.

"How I feel about _that thing_ is beside the point. That doesn't change the fact she betrayed us."

"I believe in Satella. I'm sure there's a reason why she did what she did. And unless proven otherwise, I'll put my faith in her."

"Hm~! Hm~! Hm~!" Typhon nodded in support of the blonde. "And I don't sense any evil in Tella, you know~."

"Typhon's point aside, aren't you being irrational? Besides, it's not because 'she had reasons for doing what she did'… but to willingly fool and maneuver her own supposed friends towards a trap… that's truly unforgivable. There's an unspoken rule that betrayal is the ultimate sin to a group, you know. I'm actually surprised I seem to be the only one who felt betrayed by her actions."

"Are you seriously accusing me of being irrational when your attitude towards that girl has always been irrational?! It seems to me you just hate her for no reason!"

"P… please… stop…" Carmilla stepped in nervously. "Arguing… over… Satella-chan… always goes nowhere… a-and… don't we have… a girl… to save?"

With Carmilla's intervention, of all people, they were reminded of their new mission.

"Oh, right!" Minerva smacked herself in the head. "How could I forget? That poor girl must be so scared right now…"

"Let's save this discussion for another day… haa… I would rather get over this… huu… as quickly as possible… haa…" proposed Sekhmet.

"Fine…" Echidna folded her arms with a sigh.

Then, for a brief moment, an unreadable expression was displayed on Echidna's face. She appeared to be exhausted? Sad? Uncertain? Angry? Or perhaps, indifferent? Sekhmet caught on to it, but chose not to say anything and gave her a slight nod.

Nevertheless, the issue regarding Satella's betrayal is momentarily set aside.

And so, Echidna walks in front of everyone.

"Well, then... as a final reminder, our mission is to prevent the marriage of [Black Greed] and [Frost] and the recovery of [Frost]. [Black Greed] sponsored countless weddings across the city as a diversion to prevent everyone from finding the real chapel where's he's to marry [Frost]. Hence, the first and most important part of this mission will be to discover the true location of the wedding." Echidna explained their object for the last time. "And remember, just because we're supposedly working for the Sage now, this doesn't change anything at all. We still have to be discreet as much as possible. With that said, any questions?"

When no one voiced their concerns, Echidna nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well, if there are no other questions, let's get started~."


	2. Chapter 1: Wedding Infiltration

The usual gloomy overcast sky greets the sprawling Lugnica City.

The streets are crowded with bustling people. The motor cars, carriages, wagons, and horsebacks hopelessly try to find a path through the crowd. The smokes steam out of the factories. The zeppelin airships patrol the skies. Just another ordinary day.

Be that as it may, a strange phenomenon is taking place across the city. Today is [A Happy Wedding Day] where numerous weddings are to be held all over the place at noon.

* * *

 **Arc I: The Witches of Lugnica  
** **Chapter 1: Wedding Infiltration**

* * *

March 21 | 10:00  
Corneas Castle, west of Lugnica City

Somewhere on the western side of Lugnica City, a motor car was parked just outside the vicinity of a middle-sized castle; the castle of a sinister scum who shall be referred to as [Black Greed].

Inside the car, Echidna is settled into the driver's seat with Minerva besides her on the passenger seat. Sekhmet, Carmilla, and Daphne are seated at the back with Typhon sitting on Sekhmet's lap since only three people are able to fit.

From the inside, they are closely observing the guards patrolling the castle grounds. Although their exact number is hard to determine, there seems to be a lot. Alongside the castle guards, there are also two guards manning the gates to make sure no intruder is able to pass.

"Our target is [Black Greed]'s secretary. If anyone knows where [Black Greed] is to marry [Frost], it's him." Echidna reminded everyone why they, a group of maidens, are even trying to break inside a castle.

To summarize, [Black Greed] is the main culprit behind the wedding phenomenon. He sponsored countless weddings as a scheme to confuse any unwelcomed guests trying to spoil his wedding **.** So, in order to expose the location of the event, they're targeting his secretary.

"But how the hell are we going to get inside with all these guards around?!" Minerva stated the obvious question.

"Daphne thinks Met-Met and Ner-Ner should just make them all go BOOOOM!" Came Daphne's extreme suggestion. Her wolfish grin, together with her furry hood with cat ears, gave her the look of a predatory cat. "Or Daphne can call her pets! Daphne's pets will snack on these meaty men just fine."

 **"** No, both option would attract too much attention." The suggestions were quickly shut down by Echidna. "Anyway, fret not for your lovely leader just come up with a clever idea, my dear friends!" She expressed enthusiastically. "So, all of you be good girls and wait here while I work my magic. Enjoy the show." She leaves the car with a smug smile plastered on her face.

"Hey, dumbass! What the hell are you up to?!" Minerva's words came too late. Echidna was already gone.

"Haa… if she says so… let's just leave this to her…"

* * *

Echidna approaches the two guards guarding the entrance. Straightaway, her presence made them wary.

"This castle is not open to the public, ma'am. We kindly ask you to turn around and leave."

"I-I'm here for my brother, Regu-kun… this is where he lives, right?"

"Eh?" Both guards look at each other in confusion.  
"The boss has a sister?"  
"I don't recall him having one…"  
"What if this chick is just trying to trick us? You know… the boss went too far this time and kidnapped the daughter of the Elior faction's Duke! I bet there are all kinds of search going on right now…"  
"Yeah. But she kind of bare some resemblance to the boss, doesn't she? She has the same white hair…"

"Uhm… e-excuse me…" Echidna called for their attention."It's rude to ignore a lady, you know."

Ending their conversation, one of the guards faces her with a regretful look. "I'm sorry ma'am, but the boss never mentioned a sister before."

"Regu-kun never talks about me? I… I see… that's how it is… huh…" She said with a deep frown. "H-how could you… Regu-kun… I'm gravely disappointed… after we shared an inseparable bond during our wonderful childhood filled with many memories… now, you don't care about me anymore, your dear sister… why…" A tear dropped elegantly from her right eye.

The guards begin to feel sorry for the seemingly innocent girl. Surely enough, even they know how much of an asshole their boss is.

Unluckily for them, they fail to realize they're dealing with a crafty liar of the highest level. The little act is starting to have its desired effects, playing with their emotions.

"W-we're truly sorry… ma'am…"

Taking full advantage of the situation, tears stream like gentle rivers down her delicate face. "E-even so… as his faithful sister… I still want to meet Regu-kun..." Her eyes remained resolute despite the tears. "I heard many unpleasant rumors about him lately… and I'm really worried… I want to see him for myself… I want to see what has become of my dear Regu-kun…"

"We're really sorry but even if you are his sister, he's not home at the moment, ma'am."

"I… I see… in that case, may I wait inside the castle until he returns?"

The guards can only sigh at her naivety. Not only are they quickly falling for the white-haired girl's delicate charms, but her persistence is beginning to wear them down.

However, despite their growing weakness, they manage to resist falling completely under her spell.

"We can't do that, ma'am. After all, we still don't know if you're really boss' sister."

"We can't take the risk. He may get mad at us. He's... he's really not pleasant when he's angry. I hope you understand, miss. Why not come back in another day?"

Echidna thinks for a moment and pulls something out of her pocket.

"Ah. Will an identification card work? H-here." She handed them a card.

The guards closely observe the card. It contains a clearer picture of her face without the beret. Moreover, the name "Echidna Corneas" was engraved beside the picture.

"T-this… y-you really are boss' sister!" One of them exclaimed as he handed back the card and turns to the other guard. "Hey, what should we do?"

"I-I guess it should be fine if we let her in…"

"Really?! Thank you very much! How kind of you, good sirs!" She bowed, expressing her gratitude. "I promise to return the favor someday! Y… you can ask for anything you'd like!" She finished off her sentence with a charming wink.

Beneath her act, however, she can only sneer at the foolish guards for falling to such a simple trick.

"A-anything? E… ehehehe… don't mention it, miss!"

"C-can my friends come too?"

"You have friends with you?!"

"Y-yes…" She answered with a 'nervous' tone. "U-uhm… it's been a long time since I've talked with Regu-kun, you know… a-and with those nasty rumors abound… it would make me feel at ease if my friends are with me…"

She turns to where the car was parked and waved for the others to come over. Thus, they got out of the car and join Echidna's side.

Sekhmet looks bored as always, Daphne is amused by Echidna's acting, and Carmilla is using Sekhmet's tall figure as a cover to hide from the guards. Lastly, both Minerva and Typhon have an unamused expression; their judgmental eyes spearing to Echidna.

Certainly, Echidna's beauty is a head-turner... but with a group of cute and pretty girls joining her, the guards are unable to contain themselves anymore.

"I can sense your lecherous gaze upon us, you mongrels!" Minerva exposed their inappropriate stares. "Avert your gaze!"

"Ahaha." Flustered, one of the guards laughed nervously. "Right this way, girls. I'll lead you to the guest rooms."

"H-hey, no fair! Why can't it be me?!" said the guard who was too late to volunteer himself as the tour guide.

As they follow behind the guard, Echidna smiles in satisfaction for a job well done without a shed of blood.

* * *

The guard leads them inside the castle.

Surprisingly, the castle's interior design looks very mundane and ordinary. From what they know about [Black Greed], they expected a more grandeur design. Instead, the ambiance of the castle feels gray and dull.

While they continue walking along, Minerva confronts Echidna.  
"You're an awful person, you know that?"  
"Well, obviously… we're witches, aren't we? We're supposed to be awful creatures."  
"Even so! How can you so easily lie and manipulate people like it's nothing?!"  
"It's part of my charms, I suppose." Echidna added a lovely wink.  
"So shameless…"

Once they turned to a hallway with no other visible guard in the area, Echidna gives Sekhmet a signal.

Sekhmet nods with a slight huff. Then, she lethargically walks behind the guard and grabs him in a headlock, forcing him to the ground while placing a knee against his back.

"W-"

"Hush… huu…" Sekhmet warned with a frosty tone, sending chills down his spine. "If you don't want… haa… your head… huu… looking the other way…"

Whimpering at the thought of his head being snapped, the guard obliges and decides to keep his mouth shut unless asked to speak.

Typhon kneels down to draw eye-level with the guard and pulls out a knife. "Now then, mister~. Tell us where's Mr. Secretary! And you better not lie! I'm really good at exposing liars, you know~. This will reeeally~ hurt a lot if you lie like a bad man, you know~. So please, be honest~." An air of menace surrounds her despite her innocent youthful appearance.

All of the sudden, what seemed to be a bunch of lovely and cute girls a moment ago now appear as terrifying monsters with dangerous gleaming eyes to the guard.

"E-eek! H-his room is on the other side of the castle!"

Satisfied with his answer, Typhon withdraws her knife. "Ahahaha, thank you for being honest, mister! I really appreciate it, you know~."

Sekhmet jabs the man's neck with a hand, knocking him out cold to the ground.

"Hey, Sekhmet! You didn't have to be that harsh!" Minerva scolded. She bent down to check if the man is alive and breathing. "You could have seriously hurt him!"

"Haa… it's easier… and more convenient… huu… that way…"

"What a stupid excuse!"

As they continue to argue, Echidna walks towards the vents she spotted along the wall and opens it.

Minerva momentarily forgets about her argument with Sekhmet and walks behind Echidna to see what she's up to.

"What are you doing? Don't… tell… me…"

"Yes, Minerva. We're crawling through here." Echidna confirmed her suspicion. "This should lead to the other side of the castle. We can't afford to cross the main hall since there are guards around there. Besides, this is the fastest and most efficient route." She goes in before anyone can state their complaint.

"Ugh… fine…" Left with no other choice, Minerva followed after her.

Then, they are followed by Daphne, Carmilla, Typhon, and Sekhmet respectively. And thus, begins their adventure through the vents.

"Hey, Ner-Ner. Daphne can see your panties~. You too, Dona-Dona~."

Daphne's pitch-black goggles are specialized to take advantage of her enhanced sight, allowing her to see in darkness. And with the bottom of Echidna's thigh-length caplet coat and Minerva's skirt, accidents like these are bound to happen.

"Oh? I hope you're enjoying the view, then." Echidna sounded rather amused.

"Hhmm, yes, yes, very nice~. Their cuteness level is almost as high as Daphne's hunger level~."

Minerva grumbled angrily. "Shut your eyes, stupid child! Stupid Daphne, perverted Daphne! Just close your stupid eyes!"

"Haa… if you don't want people seeing your underwear… huu… wear something longer… haa…"

"Ugh! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! All of you! Be quiet! You're all stupid!"

Despite the little incident, they soon reach the other side of the castle... fortunately for Minerva… and for anyone else who hates dealing with her wrath.

Echidna silently opens the vents. Then, she checks to see if there are any guards around the hallway.

Confirming the area is clear, she got off the vents, subsequently followed by the others.

"Now then, that's enough about panties. It's time to get serious." She said to others as she looks at the door she's certain belongs to [Black Greed]'s secretary.

After turning around to once again check if the hallway is clear for good measure, she gives a nod to Sekhmet and Minerva.

The two immediately understood what she meant. They kick the door open and burst into the room.

They're immediately greeted by four guards stationed inside. Sekhmet grabs one of them and body slams him into another, knocking them both out. Her strength is quite ridiculously strong despite her frail and sickly body.

Engaging the two remaining guards, Minerva dodges one of the guard's relentless strikes and lands a devastating blow with a punch to his gut. The final guard attempts to catch her by surprise but she rolls out of the way and performs a back-kick which lands straight to his face, knocking him out unconscious.

"W-who the hell are you people?!" A man dressed in fancier clothes, [Black Greed]'s secretary, demanded of the intruders.

Fearful for his life, he didn't wait for an answer and tries to run past them, but Sekhmet lands a crippling kick to his midsection, sending him flying across the room until his momentum was stopped abruptly by the wall. A few broken bones were audible from the impact.

Once the team's combat specialists took care of their job, the rest joined them.

Echidna walks over to the slouched secretary and inserts a foot into his chest, pinning him against the wall.

"W-what the fuck do you want, bitch?!"

She pulls out a revolver and points it straight at his head

"E-eek!"

"I'll get straight to the point. Your boss' wedding. Where is it taking place? Don't bother giving false information and wasting my time if you don't want a bullet between your brains."

"W-will you let me go if I tell you?"

"That would depend on your answer."

"It's… on the Central Chapel."

"Hm? Typhon?" Not convinced with the answer, she asked for the team's "Liar Radar."

Answering Echidna's call, Typhon merrily skilled towards them and pulled out her knife. "Why lie, mister? Are you a bad man? Lying is an act of evil, you know~."

The secretary glanced at the knife in fear and trembled. "I-I am not lying! What even makes you think I'm lying?!" He turned to Echidna. "Look, I'm saying the truth! As cowardly as this sounds, I care more about my life than serving under that bastard! So, I wouldn't have a reason to lie anymore, right?!" He pleaded his case.

Typhon's expression turned dark. "That's another lie, you know~! Your sins are beginning to pile up, you know~!" She brought the knife closer to the man's neck, causing his trembling to intensify. "Very well~. IShallImposeAbsoluteJudgementOnThisLyingBastard." She made a slight contact with the man's neck using her knife, drawing a pint of blood.

In spite of the barely noticeable cut, the secretary screams his lungs out and rolls around the ground in complete agony.

That's because there's something special about Typhon's knife. It's an artifact known as [The Knife of Judgement]. The knife artifact causes its victim agonizing pain even with the slightest of contact. While it's far from fatal, its effects can last for a few hours, essentially making it a terrifying tool of torture.

Suffice to say, taking care of the knife does provide a whole set of trouble for Typhon herself. If she's to accidentally cut herself while cleaning the knife, she's also not immune from suffering its torturous effects.

"URGGAAAAGGHHHHH! I-it's! AGGHGHHHGGGHHH! The Northside Chapel! HAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The secretary managed to blurt out despite the intense pain.

Receiving the answer she wanted to hear, Echidna pulls out an electric baton and electrocutes the man to unconsciousness out of pity… and to pacify Minerva at the same time.

However, it's far too late. Minerva clearly isn't happy with Typhon's actions.

"Typhon! How many times do I have to say you need to be careful with that stupid knife of yours?!"

Typhon displays an innocent expression. "What are you so angry, Neru~? I was only punishing a sinner, you know~."

"That's not a valid excuse! Ugh! You people and your stupid excuses!" Minerva gritted her teeth in anger and glared at Sekhmet. "Hey, Sekhmet! You need to discipline this child! She deserves some whooping for this!"

"Haa… leave my Typhon alone…"

"Now, now, girls, let's all calm down. We got what we came here for. The wedding is starting at noon and we still have enough time to prevent it. Well, unless if you want to stay here and argue all day." Echidna reminded everyone of the objective before the situation blows out of control. "So, are we all ready to move on?"

"Ugh, fine!" Minerva had no choice but to agree.

As they are about to leave, something caught Daphne's attention. She begins sniffing around the room, eventually leading her to the window.

"Ooh, ooh, lookie, everyone~!" Daphne called the others, pointing at something down the window.

Curious about Daphne's findings, they joined her side.

All the way down in the courtyard, they witness a chaotic scene; a blue-haired girl and a pink-haired girl who appear identical to each other, and a rough looking blonde boy are engaging in a skirmish with the guards.

The boy is fighting with his bare fists, punching the guards with ferocity while using his superior speed to move around and avoid their attacks. The pink-haired girl uses a twin bladed fans as her weapon, striking down anyone who dare approach her. Finally, the blue-haired girl is ruthlessly taking down the guards with a flail. Out of the three, she's by far the most aggressive, screaming in rage as she fights on.

"Well, well… I should have seen this coming," commented Echidna with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"I… I know them… the blue-haired and pink-haired twins, I mean… I don't belong to the same class section as either of them… but they're second years... at the academy… just like Minerva and I…" said Carmilla silently, her eyes showing no particular interest as she watched her fellow second years in battle.

"Ah, yes. That's Rem and Ram. I'm a third year but I've heard of them before. And that boy is Garfiel Tinsel. He will start attending the academy as a first year in this incoming school year."

"Assuming you're not lying… how… do you know about him… Echidna-chan?"

Echidna displayed a playful smile. "I said this several times already but I'm actually the [The Seer of Greed]. **I know everything.** I don't understand why no one ever believes me."

 _"Because you're a disgusting liar,_ " was the answer that immediately popped up in the witches' minds.

Nevertheless, Echidna tends to be knowledgeable about information that isn't supposed to be known yet. It creeps them out at times, but that know-it-all brain of hers helped them out on more than one occasion. Of course, since Echidna is also a proven liar, they're well aware she may intentionally say outrageous things for the sake of her amusement. Indeed, it can be quite a challenge trying to figure out whether her words can be taken as truth or not.

"Haa… we get it… huu… you're too much of a showoff… haa…"

"So, what's a bunch of high school girls and a gruff looking boy doing here, anyway?" Typhon asked, getting everyone back on the topic at hand.

"Daphne hears the blue-haired girl screaming something like 'Subaruuuuun-kun! Where's my Subarun-kun?! Give me back my Subarun-kun!'" Daphne tried to imitate the desperate cries of the blue-haired girl, Rem. Her imitation failed miserably, and she ends up sounding like a dying cat.

However, having already spent a lot of time together, the others understood what she meant well enough.

"… Rem-san… must be referring to… Natsuki Subaru… he's also a second year... a foreign student… an annoying, brash boy... who came from a faraway eastern land…" explained Carmilla.

"Hm. And he's also [Frost]'s self-proclaimed knight." Echidna added. "He's quite notorious for his reckless personality, to say the least. Based on the context of the situation and from what I know of him, I assume he probably tried to barge in by himself to rescue [Frost]. And of course, he failed, and he probably got captured himself. Hence, the present situation."

"Haa… how stupid of him…"

"Regardless, they're none of our concern since recovering [Frost] is our only objective… although, I'm surprised Minerva is being awfully quiet. Aren't you friends with them?" Echidna turned around to face Minerva. But... "Minerva? Where is she?"

"Ner-Ner? Ooh, Daphne thinks Ner-Ner joined the fun!"

Upon hearing Daphne's words, Echidna realized she let her guard down. She should have seen this coming. And sure enough, when she turned around to look down the courtyard again, there's Minerva charging into the battle. She knocked out a few guards to get to Rem who had been injured. Reaching the blue-haired girl, she began tending to her wounds.

Overall, the situation doesn't look good for the intruders. Ram is visibly exhausted, her moves becoming sloppier by the second. Garfiel makes sure to stay close to her, protecting her and threatening anyone who gets close.

With more reinforcement guards appearing, it will only a matter of time before they get overwhelmed despite their superior combat skills.

"That fool! Of course, she would do something like this!" Echidna is clearly annoyed by the development. "Great! Fantastic! Well done, Minerva! Once again, you have caused trouble for the rest of us! Oh, wonderful! How wonderful! Next time, let's make sure to tie her up!"

"Haa… what a pain… huu... I guess I'll stay with her… haa… you go on ahead… huu… and save that half-elf bride…" As the most proficient fighter among them, Sekhmet volunteered to stay albeit unwillingly.

Echidna deliberated her suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Very well. That would be the best course of action. With you around, the guards shouldn't be that much of a problem no matter their number."

She would have preferred to confront [Black Greed] with Sekhmet, but Minerva's action ruined that plan. In the end, she didn't have any other choice because leaving Minerva by herself is not a mistake she will make again.

With everything decided, they retreated to the front gates where they separated from Sekhmet.

"Good luck, mom! See you later!" Typhon waved her goodbye before she followed the others.

Departing from the rest of the team, Sekhmet stares at the scene of battle in front of her.

Rem is up and fighting again after getting healed by Minerva. Garfiel and Minerva remain resilient, but even they wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. Not to mention, Ram is completely exhausted at this point.

"You're really troublesome, Minerva… haa… and I always have to suffer for it… huu…" After her complaint, Sekhmet slowly walked to join the fray, an eerie purple aura gradually builds up around her.

* * *

Following their successful infiltration of the castle, Echidna is en route to the Northside Chapel with Carmilla, Daphne, and Typhon.

Fortunately, Echidna knows how to operate a motor car. Otherwise, walking from the castle, which is situated on the western side of the city, to the northern chapel would have taken a few hours.

In the beginning, the witches were frightened by the prospect of sitting inside a car with Echidna as the driver, but she immediately proved her driving competence.

She claimed she eventually learned how to drive throughout the years. It started out as a side interest until she became devoted and willing enough to learn. And while there's a stigma around letting women drive in this period of time, she certainly has her ways to overcome such hurdle.

As for when she got a car or how she can even afford a luxury generally reserved for the nobles and royalty, it remains a mystery. When asked about it, she gives her usual dodgy response. And when she's being dodgy with her answers, they know well enough to stop pressing because they'll either get a confusing explanation, a half-truth, or an outrageous lie. Whatever the case may be, they just attributed it to the many "shady connections" she seems to have.

After almost 50 minutes of expertly maneuvering through a traffic of people and other vehicles, they finally made it to the destination and Echidna parks near the sidewalk.

Scouting around the area, they find the chapel square to be infested with even more guards who are shooing and diverting everyone away from the chapel.

This proves to be another obstacle. Echidna can't just slither her way through with words as she did at the castle because based on her observation, there's absolutely no one who's allowed to enter the chapel. Sneaking past them isn't an option either because they have every ground covered. Their only option at the moment is the use of force. But if they resort to that approach with their current available personnel, it would be a complete bloodbath and she would much rather avoid that.

As Typhon already demonstrated, she won't hesitate to use her knife of torture. She will just classify everyone as sinners and start stabbing arbitrarily. And while Daphne and Carmilla may appear cute and harmless on the surface, they're no less deadly than Typhon. A scene with plenty of body count would definitely be troublesome.

Actually, there's a better solution to the problem but Echidna would prefer not to agitate the individual she has in mind. Unless…

"U-uhm… I… I can draw them away… Echidna-chan…" The person in question, Carmilla, volunteered to do so herself.

She's surprised that the extremely introverted Carmilla, of all people, would even volunteer for something like this. "Are you sure? You don't have to do this, you know. We can still come up with something else." She asked for certainty, treading with her words carefully. "Hmm, but I'm curious. What makes you want to do this?"

"… I don't like any of this… I… I just don't like this… I… I hate it… I really… really… really… hate it…" Carmilla started with an unsettling tone, her expression turned eerie, which is a complete opposite of her innocent and timid look. "… forcing marriage… on that pure and innocent girl… that man is a disgusting scum… he… he should just go away… and die…"

"If you're this determined, very well." Echidna accepted her motivation, giving her suggestion the green light. "Just… be careful."

"… we need… to prevent the marriage… and save that girl… as quickly as possible… this is the fastest… and most efficient method… Echidna-chan…" Carmilla pulled out a flute with her trembling hands.

She slowly makes her way towards the guards and plays a sweet melody with the flute, catching everyone's attention.

Similar to Typhon's Knife of Judgement, Carmilla's flute is also an artifact. It's known as [The Sound of Eternal Yearning]. The sound it projects causes those who hear to hallucinate about their desire. Furthermore, it gradually maximizes their emotional feelings, trapping them inside the spell of the illusion. However, there's a downside to the powerful artifact; its effects will only work on those who aren't aware of the artifact's effects itself. Hence, the reason her fellow witches will remain unaffected… fortunately.

All in all, the flute, along with Carmilla's natural affinity for drawing people towards her, makes for a deadly combination.

As the sweet melody continues on, everyone, the guards and ordinary citizens alike, is drawn to the sound of the flute. When their sight lands on Carmilla, they are compelled to approach her.

She nervously starts walking away, leading them into another area, while doing her best to keep on playing the flute at the same time. Because she's growing more anxious by the second, the sound of the melody gradually becomes distorted until she stopped playing altogether.

Regardless, she succeeded in her objective; the guards were drawn away from the square. As a result, Echidna pulls her facemask, covering the lower half of her face, and enters the chapel without any trouble.

In spite of the artifact no longer emitting its seductive sound, Carmilla's "followers" are still under the spell; its effects had already seeped in too deep.

Suddenly, they start getting aggravated, pushing and shoving through the crowd. Next, they began punching and kicking each other, engaging in an all-out brawl, all for the sake of earning the right to reach and claim her.

She runs away as fast as she can. Consequently, the "followers" seize their fighting at the moment and start chasing after her.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! GROSSGROSSGROSSGROSSGROSSGROSS! STAYAWAYFROMMESTAYAWAYFROMMESTAYAWAYFROMMESTAYAWAYFROMMESTAYAWAYFROMME!" She cried out with tears streaming down her face.

Watching the scene unfold…

"Ahahahaha! Milla-Milla is having so much fun~! Ooh! Ooh! Daphne wants to join~, Daphne wants to join~! Let's go, Tyu-Tyu!"

Daphne dashes towards the scene followed by Typhon. Then, she uses her fingers to blow a whistle. Henceforth, a massive gray dire wolf with thick fur appear before them a few moments later.

She mounted the wolf and helped Typhon hop on. "Good dog~! Always following Daphne's words~!" She commended the wolf with a pat on his head.

Daphne has the bizarre ability to tame and control wild animals. She claims to have the ability to communicate with them as well. To her credit, it appears the animals she declares as "pets" do respect and obey her.

During their missions, she orders her pets to prowl around the surrounding vicinity, hiding from plain slight unless called. They're usually reserved for the most drastic situation but sometimes, she calls them just for the sake of it.

"Hey, Daphne. This is a nice puppy, you know~," complimented Typhon as she touched and played with the wolf's fur.

"Yes, yes, Gray Wolf-chan is a good pet~. Very good pet, indeed~. Gray Wolf-chan is Daphne's best friend, in fact! The only pet Daphne will never dream of eating~!"

"Uwu~, you eat your pets?"

"Of course! They only have one purpose in life, you know; hunt the prey, be hunted by a stronger predator, and satisfy the predator's belly." Daphne let out a predatory grin. "But Daphne will **NEVER** eat Gray Wolf-chan!" She hugged the wolf's back in an endearing manner.

In response, the wolf wags his tail happily due to the affection.

"Anyway~, let's get Milla-Milla. Come on, Gray Wolf-chan!"

Obliging her command with no hesitation, the wolf races towards the running Carmilla, ramming past the people chasing after her. The wolf's charge stopped in front of the terrified pink-haired girl. Then, Daphne and Typhon both help her get on top of the wolf.

"… thank you… Daphne-chan…" Carmilla showed her gratitude and wiped the tears from her face.

The "followers" are back on their feet and continue their pursuit of Carmilla despite the presence of the wolf.

Daphne quickly commanded the wolf to start sprinting again. And thus, the chase continues on.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the chapel, Echidna is observing the upcoming event from the waiting area, staying clear of anyone's sight.

In the middle of the aisle, she sees a man who shares a similar white-colored hair as her. He's wearing an all-white princely outfit, looking like an absolute gentleman. That man is Regulus Corneas, the [Black Greed], waiting for the wedding to begin.

 _"Just in time, huh?"_ Echidna thought to herself. _"Regulus Corneas. Fufu~, you're quite the greedy man, aren't you?"_

She notices all of the wedding guests are women. There's no doubt in her mind that all of them are the "wives" he forced in marriage. She's actually in disbelief someone could be so shameless to marry this many women and have them watch him marry another one each and every time. In fact, that type of "greed" irritated her quite a bit.

 _"A mere commoner_ _ **who was bestowed an all-too-powerful artifact that granted his greatest desires.**_ _It's too bad... because I'm here to take away your silver treasure."_ Her lips curved into a threatening smile. _"I'm going to spoil this pathetic excuse of a wedding and end your reign,_ _ **my fellow sinner of Greed.**_ _"_

After her silent declaration, she searches around the backroom, looking for the half-elf she refers to as [Frost]. Eventually, she finds her in a room accompanied by two bridesmaids.

Before anyone can react to her presence, she pulls out a stun gun and takes out the bridesmaids.

"Emilia." She said to the stunned half-elf in front of her.

The silver-haired half-elf [Frost], Emilia, is dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown befitting of the occasion. Her sparkling silver hair flows elegantly as it always had. And her curious purple eyes are fixated on her. Perhaps, her features remind Echidna of a certain someone she would rather avoid in her thoughts. Unfortunately, Emilia looks completely identical to that person it makes it impossible.

On the other hand, Emilia feels a sense of familiarity towards her but the beret and facemask make it hard for anyone to recognize her identity.

"W-who are you?"

"Your future sister-in-law, I suppose."

"Eh?! W… what do you mean by that?!" Emilia is shocked by the declaration before she realized something. "Hold on… are you saying you're Regulus' sister? You do have the same white hair…"

"No. I was joking. Anyway, I'm here to rescue you out of this mess, princess."

"R-really? That's a relief. But there seems to be a misunderstanding. P-princess? I may be from House Elior, but I'm not a princess…"

Echidna sighed. "Another joke. Do you not understand sarcasm?"

"Oh. Another joke. Ahaha. You love joking around, do you?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But seriously, we really need to get out of here, right now, as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'm going to have to use force. You don't want that, right?" Echidna threatened, growing annoyed at the half-elf.

Emilia gulped due to the threat. "N-no… o-of course not. But before that, may I change to something more comfortable first?"

"Fine. Just hurry up."

"Okay… I'll be quick."

Emilia retreated to the wardrobe.

When she finished changing, she rejoins Echidna. Different from the elegant wedding gown she wore a while ago, she opts for a much simpler white blouse and mid-length dark blue skirt.

"Well, let's go."

"Hold on..." Echidna approached her and touched the collar placed around her neck. She just noticed its presence now that the half-elf's casual getup made it more visible.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Relax." She cautioned, removing the collar using certain tools from her small satchel.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Free from the collar's constraints, Emilia smiled gleefully.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing this from the goodness of my heart. I'm only doing this to assure nothing goes wrong."

"Even so, thank you!"

"Whatever." Echidna killed that line of conversation and settled her observant eyes on the collar.

"There's something really strange about that man. He has the ability to control any object he touches at will. And he uses these collars to make sure none of his wives try to escape… he can use that strange ability to move and control the collar along us even if we try to run," explained the half-elf about the collar's purpose.

"Any object he touches? I see…"

After their exchanges gave her enough information, Emilia somehow got an idea who the girl in front of her might be.

"Hm?" She tilted her head to get a clearer view. "Wait a minute… I know you… you're… E-Echidna?"

Echidna sighs and a deep frown formed beneath her facemask.

"I know you belong in the same class section as nee-san. You've also visited our mansion a few times before… I… I can recognize those mystic dark eyes of yours… and your voice…" She explained how she reached that conclusion.

"Well, congratulations. I bet you're feeling proud and smart for exposing my identity, don't you? Are you expecting a gold star, perhaps? Talk about an egocentric brat."

"I… it's absolutely nothing like that!" The half-elf quickly denied the baseless accusation.

"Whatever. Anyway, we've already wasted too much time. Let's go." She decided it's time to move on before the half-elf can ask questions.

And just when they're finally about to be on the move...

"Hey, the wedding should have started five minutes ago." A different voice called out from behind the door; a voice of a man.

Emilia stops in her tracks.

"Aren't you people being a little rude to me? Right now, do you understand how inconsiderate you are towards me? I mean, isn't it common social decency? For a man's happiest day of his life, to have everything prepared right on time. Which, in this case, happens to be my wedding. Punctuality. Do you not think it's very important? Especially for this very special day." His voice was calm but it's on the verge of rage. "With that said, would anyone please tell me what happened? Why hasn't my bride been presented to me? You know, to keep my bride away from my loving embrace. This… **this is a serious violation of my rights.** "

"T… that's him… Regulus…" Emilia quietly whispered to Echidna.

"You're staying silent. Why are you staying silent? Is it because of guilt? Is it because of shame? Whatever the case may be, don't you think I deserve answers? Don't you think you have to answer for your incompetence? So, why am I not receiving answers? Have society's standards really sunken to the point of no return that people aren't even capable of giving simple answers anymore? I feel like I'm just talking to myself here. Wait. Wait. Wait. You are listening. You are listening to me, right? You didn't lose your ability to hear or anything, right? Or... or maybe you're just listening to me rant and you just don't care enough to give me the answers I deserve? Well, what is it? Tell me."

Echidna figured he must be trying to talk to the bridesmaids… both who are unconscious.

"Echidna…"

She instinctively pulls the half-elf behind her. "Stay back. I'll take care of this."

"I see. You still choose not to answer. Even if I explicitly stated the violations against my rights, you choose to keep acting like a damn voiceless mute!" Finally, his voice was filled with rage as he ranted. "Freedom! I bet you're thinking you have the freedom to stay silent, aren't you?! Well, guess fucking what?! That so-called freedom of yours infringed on my rights! What are you?! Entitled whores?! My rights! The few remaining rights I have as an individual! My rights! That you ruthlessly trampled over! Unbelievable! Un-fucking-believable! You must be punished for your sins! You deserved to be punished! You know you have to be punished, right?!" He threatened. "Very well! Remember, this is all your fault! Even on my wedding day, I was trying to be gracious enough to give you the chance to defend your sins, but you didn't take that chance! Me! My kindness! My patience! My fairness! All thrown into dust by your vexing silence! Maybe I should just rip your fucking mouth or sew it shut?! Which one would you prefer?! Oh, still no answer?! Very well, I'll do both! I've had it with this bullshit!"

The door is violently torn into pieces and Regulus walks into the room with an unsightly expression. His advance is stopped when he inadvertently stepped on the unconscious bridesmaids and stumbled.

He looks down and sees their pitiful state. "Huh?"

Then, he raises his gaze towards Echidna and Emilia.

…

"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing with my bride?!"

"Fufu~… nothing ever goes perfectly as planned, does it?"


	3. Chapter 2: A Greedy Confrontation

**Chapter 2: A Greedy Confrontation**

Echidna swiftly draws out her revolver and fires at Regulus.

He's able to react in time before she pulled the trigger, making the collars of the unconscious bridesmaids rise up in mid-air using his ability, which pulled their bodies along, essentially using them as human shields. The bullet inadvertently landed on one of the bridesmaids' hip, resulting in a stream of liquid crimson to trickle.

"Stop!" The horrified Emilia locked Echidna's arm to prevent her from even aiming again. "Y… you're going to kill them! They're as much of a victim as I am!"

The half-elf gives her a piercing glare, warning her not to shoot again. Her conscience simply won't allow the innocent to get hurt. Furthermore, her glare also sends a message, conveying she won't comply with her at all if she keeps on firing. Not wanting to deal with a rebellious half-elf, Echidna sighs and puts away the revolver.

"Y… you… d-did you just try to shoot me?! You were aiming for the kill, were you?! You… you were trying to kill me!" Regulus accused with trembling voice. "Here I was! I was just standing here! And you… you tried to kill me! You tried to shoot a man who just wanted to know what went wrong with his special day! What kind of manner-less primitive savage are you?!" He demanded, his eyes full of rage. "T… t-to make an attempt on my life when I just want answers! This is the most serious violation of my rights!"

He lifted both arms. In the same moment, a gust of wind can be felt and the ruined door is being further dismantled into pieces by some unknown force at work. Then, he sends the dismantled pieces flying straight towards Echidna.

She readies herself to roll out of the way, but Emilia creates a defensive ice wall in front of her, proving her intended move unnecessary. The ice wall blocks off the incoming assault.

Not wasting any opportunity, Echidna sets off a couple of smoke bombs, engulfing the entire room in smoke. She grabs the half-elf's arm and leads her out of the room past the struggling Regulus who's wildly swinging his arms amidst the smoke, sending his unconscious wives and other random objects flying all over the place.

As soon as they escaped from the chapel and arrived in the square, Emilia starts coughing as a result of the smoke she inhaled.

"You go on ahead and get out of here. I'll distract him and buy you time to ensure your escape." Echidna suggested.

Emilia shakes her head, clearly disagreeing with her suggestion. "No. You shouldn't fight him by yourself! He's really dangerous! I can stay and fight. I'm not that weak!"

"You no need concern yourself over a sinister witch, [Frost]. I can take care of myself. And besides…" Echidna gives her a serious look. "That foolish foreign knight of yours is quite in a predicament. He charged straight to Regulus' castle like a hopeless buffoon after you got captured. We found him injured and... it's… he's in a critical state. Things aren't looking too rosy for him at the moment. He's going to need you and your tenderness by his side if he has any hope of survival."

"S-Subaru is in trouble?!" Asked Emilia, frightened by the sudden revelation.

Echidna placed the half-elf in a position to make a difficult choice; to stay and help her fight off Regulus or to go and help Subaru. Ultimately, as she expected, the half-elf's choice is obvious.

"I'm sorry, Echidna… but… Subaru…" The half-elf started in regret before she shook her head in defiance. "No. There's nothing I should be worrying about. I believe Subaru will be fine! And I believe in you too, Echidna! You can defeat that villain!" She exclaimed with utmost confidence. "But please, be careful, okay? I wish I could stay and help but I need to check on Subaru. I'll see you later!" She bid her goodbye before turning around and running towards the opposite direction.

"What a foolish girl…" Echidna almost felt pity for the innocent half-elf for falling to such an obvious lie. But now that she got rid of her, it's time to fulfill her other mission.

* * *

" _Ah, Echidna. Hold on a minute. I have something else for you." Flugel called to her attention after the meeting was dismissed._

" _What now? Have you not shamed me enough already?"_

" _Come on. Don't be like that. I just want your cooperation. You see, I have a special objective reserved just for you."_

" _Oh? Interesting. Do tell."_

" _I want you to recover Regulus' ring. The ring is a very powerful artifact and it's the main reason behind his 'fortune.' Unlike the ordinary artifact, there's something… special about it. You'll understand once you see it in action for yourself."_

" _How interesting. Very well, I accept. Consider it done."_

" _I thought you would be more skeptical about this and ask questions. But_ _I'm glad you're interested. Even so, you have to be careful, okay? Perhaps, this will be the most dangerous artifact you've ever gone up against._ _Anyway, for now, it would be best if you keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone else about it. There's going to be a separate time for that."_

* * *

She figured Regulus' ability to freely control and manipulate any object he touches stem from the ring... it must be the "special ability" Flugel mentioned.

" _Allowing_ _a weak and fragile girl such as myself to deal with this freak show. How manly of you, Flugel."_ She complained internally, glaring towards the chapel where Regulus is making his way towards her with the most displeased expression. Once he was close enough, she's able to confirm the ring on his finger.

"You! Just who the hell are you?! And where the hell is my bride?! What bullshit are you trying to pull here?!" The angry man, who had his wedding ruined, demanded.

"Who am I? I'm [the Witch] and I'm here to unleash a curse on you." She replied sarcastically.

"The Witch?" He pondered over the word [witch]. "Ah, I get it, I get it, I get it. Witch. The witch rumors those degenerates in the slums made up… so, it's true after all? The vigilante witches do exist? I see I see. If that's the case, that means you must be one of them. That's what you're saying? Or maybe you're just pretending to the Witch to intimidate me? Is that it?" He asked, pausing briefly afterward. "Well, you know what? Witch or not, who the fuck do you think you are to go around and ruin people's wedding?! Who the hell gave you the right to do that?! Who the hell gave you the permission to infringe on people's right to marry?! Have you lost your damn mind?! Do you understand? Do you understand how much of a despicable scum you are?! Well, let me tell you. You're a despicable scum! The scummiest of them all! Scummier than those who you call scum! You, the Witch or whatever… you... you're someone who thoroughly enjoys trampling on people's rights!"

"Oh, by chance, do you mean the wedding you forced on an unwilling girl? And many others? That's definitely… **Greed**." She countered with a faint smile. " _Your brand of Greed_ _..._ the Greed that imposes your own selfishness into others. The Greed that doesn't acknowledge perspectives other than your own. The egotistic Greed that leads you to believe you're always in the right. Honestly, I can't deal with people like that. I fail to understand that childish mentality." She expressed a disappointed look. "What's so interesting if you only listen to your own argument and completely disregard the other? The joys of an engaging debate… the anticipation that builds as you wait for your opponent's response and the counterargument you prepare to strike back. The suspense and thrill you experience when you observe an individual ponder over difficult choices. The questions that arise once they do make their choice. Will it turn out for the best? Will it lead them to the right path? Or perhaps, will their choice will lead to tragedy and regret? This… this is what makes life so beautiful… the people's right to choose… and your 'Greed' completely rejects 'choice.'" She gave him a sharp, spiteful gaze. "Besides, this isn't even about 'respecting the rights of others.' With all seriousness, that's rich coming from someone who forces unwilling maidens in marriage. Technically speaking, aren't you also infringing on those poor girls' rights? Because I doubt any of them would willingly marry an utter trash."

"Look, you're seriously pissing me right now. How dare you insult and mock me?! How dare you accuse me of Greed when I'm just trying to exercise the few rights given to me?! Aren't you the one being greedy here?! You trampled all over my rights!" He shot back, his eyes turning red in anger. "And what's wrong with marrying maidens that managed to capture my heart?! For example, I see a silver-haired girl with stunning purple eyes. Then, I said to myself 'I like her face. She's really pretty.' So, I decided to marry her. What's wrong with that?! It's within my rights to like anyone I want! It's within my rights to fall in love! It's within my rights to marry the person I love! It's within my rights to marry as many people as I want! So, tell me! How am I infringing on their rights?! How is that Greed?!"

"I'm definitely greedy, true. But unlike you, I'm not in denial of my Greed." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're hopeless. Continuing this conversation with you is an insult to my intelligence. It just might make me want to kill myself. So, let's just end this pointless talk, shall we?!"

Hoping to catch him off guard, she fires her revolver again without warning. The bullet speeds through the air, making contact with his skin. However, Regulus manages to use his ability and stop its rapid movement before it can penetrate through his skin. He flips the bullet back towards her direction and sends it back flying to her, in which she easily avoids.

" _Any weapon against him is practically useless, huh? This is really troublesome. I wish Sekhmet is here."_ She thought of her unfavorable situation. _"I suppose there's no other choice but to..."_

Regulus appears to be even more angered than ever. "You did it again! You… you… you… you… you… you… you tried to shoot me! Tried to kill me! In the middle of our conversation! As I was defenseless! As I was about to exercise my right to speak! Not for the first time but for the second time already! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"

He pulls out a set of cards from his pockets and sends them speeding towards her, using them as if they were sharp, cutting edge blades.

She rolls out of the way to avoid them, but she wasn't able to dodge all of them; a couple of cards manage to cut through her coat, and grazes her skin, drawing lines of red in her pale skin. Once she gets up, she quickly makes a retreat, running away.

"Run all you want! You can never escape from me! You can never hide from me!" He chased after her.

* * *

Corneas Castle, west of Lugnica City

Meanwhile, inside the castle grounds, the fray ended a little while ago.

"Haa... that should do it… huu… what a waste of time… haa..." Sekhmet complained as she slumped to the ground amidst the pile of unconscious guards.

"Dam! T'hell'r ya? Yer even human?!" The boy Garfiel asked in amazement.

Indeed, as Echidna presumed, Garfiel charged into the castle along with Ram and Rem to rescue Subaru who's being held somewhere inside. The foreign boy did attempt to fight his way through in order to rescue Emilia until he was eventually suppressed.

"Who knows… haa…" Sekhmet closed her eyes, indulging in nap time.

"Oy! T'hell?! Yer just gna sleep w'out givin' me answers?!"

As Garfiel is trying to carefully awaken the slothful woman in vain, Minerva is tending to Ram and Rem; both sustained injuries during the skirmish.

Rem abruptly forces herself to stand while Minerva was in the process of applying bandages around her bloody arm. "Subaru-kun… I need to find Subaru-kun!" She made a head start towards the castle.

"Hey, wait! I haven't finished patching you up! Get back here, Rem!"

"Don't waste your energy. When it pertains to Barusu, she's hopeless." Said Ram, getting up from her previous kneeling position. "It's best if we just follow her." Her sharp gaze landed on Garfiel. "Hey, you. Let's go."

The blonde boy salutes in response. "Ya got't!" Then, he stared at the sleeping Sekhmet. "Uh... but what we do w' er?"

"Don't worry! I'll take care of her!" Assured Minerva, picking up and carrying the sleeping woman piggy-back style like it's nothing.

"Errr… kay…" Garfiel was slightly bewildered by the two and leaned closer to Ram. "S'it just me or these're some weird gals?" He whispered.

Ram glares at him with a deadpan expression. "Don't use your irrelevant comments as an excuse to intrude on my personal space." She called out the close proximity between their faces and pinched him in the ear, causing him to take a step back from her.

"O-owie …" His face cringed at the girl's bluntness.

"Let's not waste any more time. Let's go."

They entered the castle and began the search. They spent around thirty minutes searching fruitlessly, unable to find Subaru and Rem anywhere. At some point, it felt like they're just going around in circles. It's times like these when Minerva wished Daphne was around.

Eventually, after almost forty-five minutes, they finally found Subaru inside one of the rooms with Rem already beside him. Fortunately, Subaru appears to be okay. The black-haired boy has a massive grin on his face while giving Rem a head pat; the girl smiles happily and indulges herself in the affectionate gesture.

"Yo, boss! Glad to see yer fine. Had us worried 'nd evrythin'!" Garfiel greeted.

"Yo, you're all here, too? You must have been worried sick about me, Ram! Haha!" Subaru called out to the pink-haired twin with a playful grin before turning to Minerva. "Oh, but I'm surprised to see you here, Minerva. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Hehe, thanks!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Anyway, sorry for making you all worried! I promise, from now on, Natsuki Subaru will never lose a single battle again!" He raised a clenched fist in determination. "Grrr... that punk just got a cheap shot!"

Ram scowls at him. "Dream on, Barusu."

Minerva smacks him on the head. "That's for being reckless, foolish boy!"

"Ouch! That's so mean of you, Minerva!"

After her assault, her demeanor turns soft and gentle. "Stay still." Her hands fiddled with his body, searching for wounds. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Rem swats her intruding hands away. "Rem can take care of her Subaru-kun, Minerva-san!"

"Huh?" Minerva asked, genuinely confused by the girl's action.

"Geez, there's no need for any of that healing stuff! As you can see, I'm feeling fantastic as always!" Subaru tried to convince them, lifting his arms to showcase his supposed well-being.

Minerva is still not convinced and wants to check him for wounds regardless of Rem. However, before she can re-check, Subaru's expression suddenly darkens.

"Subaru-kun?" Asked Rem, worried by his sudden shift of mood.

"Wait a minute… I feel like I'm forgetting something really important…" When he realized what's missing, dread painted over his face. "Emilia-tan?! Where's Emilia-tan?!"

His eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for Emilia. When he failed to find the half-elf, he forced himself to a stand before he immediately collapsed due to the soreness from getting beaten up senselessly. Not that it deterred him one bit. He continued attempting to stand despite his condition, using his arms to push himself off the ground in desperation.

"Subaru-kun, you should be resting! Don't push yourself too much!"

"Don't be foolish and listen to what the girl says!" Minerva agreed with the blue-haired twin. "Stay still and let me heal you first!"

"No… that can wait later! Gotta. Save. Emilia-tan!" He stubbornly willed himself to rise up again despite stumbling and struggling to stay on his feet, storming out of the room.

"Subaru-kun!" Rem chased after him.

"Ey! Wer ya both goin?! Wait fer me!" Garfiel followed suit.

With those three off to the races, only Ram, Minerva, and the unconscious Sekhmet remained inside the room. Due to Subaru's current state, they doubt the boy could make it far. So, they decided to stay still for now.

"Your sister is very close to Subaru, isn't she?" Minerva suddenly asked Ram.

"That's an understatement. She's head over heels for him. Honestly speaking, I don't understand what Rem sees in that despicable boy, but her business is her business."

"Oh… but with Subaru already in a relationship with both Emilia and Satella… this… this is a very complicated situation."

Since half a year ago, Subaru was officially in a romantic relationship with the half-elf siblings, Satella and Emilia.

Emilia may be accepting of Subaru also being in a relationship with Satella, and she has no problem with other girls showering him with affection, but Satella, on the other hand, is a whole another story. She already has a lot of trouble coming to terms with the situation. It's only her love for both Subaru and her sister that compelled her to accept the relationship. But if another girl is to join the equation…

There's no telling what could happen.

Ram nods in agreement with Minerva. "I know. It makes my blood boil."

* * *

Echidna is currently being chased by Regulus around a marketplace, causing a very chaotic scene.

He keeps striking with his cards, as well as other random objects; food stalls, vegetables, stones, fruits, anything. Whatever he gets his hands on, he sends them spearing in rage towards her, destroying most of the market. Fortunately for her, she's able to maintain a favorable distance and leads him in a chase full of twists and turns, making it easier to avoid his attacks. Instead, many innocent bystanders were harmed. People scattered all over the place in fear, making the chase even more difficult for him. As a result, he took his anger out on them and turned them into gore at times.

Puny market guards attempted to stop his rampage. Unfortunately for them, Regulus easily brushes them away like insects and they ended up a pile of bloody mess impaled by numerous sharp items.

As he keeps on hurling various things, he soon loses track of her when she retreated inside an abandoned building. He followed after her, but he didn't have any clue where she went off to next. Regardless, he presumed she's still somewhere inside the building.

"This is the game you chose to play? You want to play 'Hide and Seek?' Very well! I'll gladly play your game!" He accepted her 'game,' searching† around the deserted building for hints. "Now, don't get the wrong idea. It's not because I'm willing to play along. If I had any other choice, I won't even participate. I'm only participating because I have to! Do you understand?" His eyes continued searching around fruitlessly. "Right now, you are violating another one of my rights… the right to kill you… the right to silence you… the right to punish you in retribution! This is exactly why you chose to play a game like 'Hide and Seek,' isn't it? It's like when a criminal scum flees from justice. Your guilt led you to take this course of action. But do tell me, do you not feel ashamed? Do you not think you owe me an apology? Do you not feel the guilt? How much more greedy and heartless can you possibly be?"

As he keeps ranting on, Echidna hides behind a pillar near the vicinity, searching for an opening. Her original intent was to draw him to an area where there are no witnesses around, so she may stop withholding her real strength. Unluckily for her, she noticed there's _someone_ else inside the building; someone who had been following them. Thus, she decided it's not worth the risk.

Whatever the case may be, she's going to need to find a way past his impenetrable defense in order to recover the ring. Or maybe, she can count on the mysterious _someone_ as a "failsafe." After all, she already figured out who that _someone_ is.

With her mind made up, she ambushes Regulus from behind, elbowing him on his sides before kicking him straight against the wall. He quickly recovers and grabs her arms. However, it's just what she had in mind. Despite his superior strength, she managed to push her hand closer to his face and set off a metallic object which released a puff of sleeping gas straight to his face.

His grip on her arms loosened and she's able to free herself. He began stumbling backward, coughing and struggling, before he eventually loses consciousness and collapses to the ground.

She walks to his unconscious body and flips him over with her boots. She leans down, trying to quickly recover the ring. As her hands crept closer to his ring finger, she suddenly pulls back, realizing he's only pretending to be asleep.

Her realization came too late.

He lands a swift and brutal kick to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, staggering her.

Regulus gets up and laughs maniacally. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You thought I was defeated and done for, didn't you? Well, guess what?! I know how to play a game of my own too! You see, I was only pretending I was unconscious and you fell for it! You dumb bitch!" He let out the biggest sinister grin, proud of his accomplishment. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How do you feel? Does getting tricked feel bad? Do you hate me? Do you resent me? Do you want to punch me? Has your drive to kill me gotten even stronger? Well, it's too bad, you don't have much of a choice! I won this little game of ours, after all!" He approached closer, a menacing aura building around him. "And you know what? The victor has the right to do whatever he wants with the loser!" He grabbed her by the neck, throwing away her facemask and caressing her face in an unsettling manner. "It's such a shame you turned out to be a manner-less degenerate! You have such a pretty face! If only I can fix that rotten personality of yours, I would even marry you! Unfortunately, it's too late for that. Now, be a good little girl and stay still." He let out another sinister grin as he began choking her. "Don't worry. You can forget all your troubles. I will kindly put you to rest now."

" _Ahahaha… you fool…_ _ **I still have my failsafe.**_ _"_ She thought to herself, not showing any visible sign of distress despite her predicament. _"Now then…"_

And sure enough, as she expected…

"Regulus… please, stop this." A sweet and gentle feminine voice revealed itself.

Hearing the voice caused Regulus to freeze on the spot and let go of the girl he's trying to choke to death. Once he turned to the source of the voice, a look of extraordinary disbelief was plastered on his face. He was completely taken aback by what he just witnessed.

In front of him stood a silver-haired half-elf with purple eyes. The girl owns a face completely identical to his bride, Emilia. Although, unlike the white-dressed Emilia, this half-elf's clothing is exclusively black, wearing almost the same black capelet coat as Echidna. But, there's no doubt in his mind that it IS his bride, Emilia. Only she should have a face like that! Convinced by his assessment, his face displayed a wide array of emotions; relief, sadness, happiness, gratefulness, and love.

He covered his mouth with both hands and began choking up tears in astonishment. "M… my dear silver-haired bride! Have you come for me?!" He whimpered. "As I was facing this fiend all alone, you… you were worried about me. You were afraid you might never see me again. That's the reason why you're here, isn't it?"

The half-elf nods, giving him an ethereal smile. "Of course. Silly Regulus. Why else would I be here?"

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He cried hysterically, tears falling out of control. "TO THINK YOU WOULD CARE SO MUCH FOR ME! A NOBODY LIKE ME! TO THINK THERE'S SOMEONE… IN THIS CRUEL AND TWISTED WORLD… WHO WOULD LOVE ME AS MUCH AS I LOVE THEM! I KNEW! I KNEW! I JUST KNEW! I KNEW… FROM THE VERY MOMENT I WITNESSED YOUR UNRIVALED BEAUTY **… _I FOUND MY SALVATION_**!"

"Yes, my dear Regulus. Come here, everything will be alright now. Embrace me." Invited the half-elf, stretching out her welcoming arms, ready to accept him.

"Y... yes, my dear angel!" He approached and kneeled down before her.

She wraps one arm around his neck, while she clasps her free hand against his. Catching him off guard, she swiftly pulls the ring off him.

"W… what are you doing?!"

Before he has the chance to catch on her real intention, she uses ice magic to place him in a frozen state, rendering him immobile.

After the deed, the half-elf advances to Echidna who was resting on a knee and tries to help her up. However, the offered assistance was coldly ignored. Echidna chose to get up on her own.

She glares at the half-elf with an unimpressed expression. "Satella."

An air of awkwardness dominated the atmosphere.

"… I didn't need your help..." Of course, she would never admit she relied on her assistance to defeat Regulus.

"Receiving help from someone you've never thought kindly of… it must be very awkward for you... and it must have wounded your pride. I'm sorry."

"I don't need your apology, either. So, why are you here anyway? You're quite the stalker, aren't you?"

"My sister is involved in this, you know. Of course, I'm going to take action. Is it not my duty to look after my little sister?"

"Oh, my. You sure love your sister dearly, don't you? How sweet... almost puts a tear in my eye. Fufu~."

The half-elf narrows her eyes. "What's so funny about that?"

"I just find it REALLYYY interesting… **how the circumstances have changed**." Answered Echidna with an amused smile.

"What do you mean?"

"That's for me to know and for you to… never find out."

Satella pouts, not amused by her cryptic words. Before she can call out the unfairness, she starts feeling uneasy, her hand which holds the ring is shaking feverishly. She opens her hand and stares at the ring, feeling like she wants to swallow the artifact for whatever reason. Her expression darkens, everything in sight seems dark and bleak, her breathing became heavy and irregular, and her mental state slowly breaking down…

Echidna grabs her hand and yanks the ring away from her. With the ring off her, Satella returned to her regular state, her uneasiness suddenly fading as soon as she loses contact with the ring.

"What just happened?" The half-elf asked, perplexed by her previous emotions.

" _Make a wish and your desire of Greed shall be granted_ …" Echidna read off the encryption carved around the ring. "This is a sinner's weapon; the sinner of Greed, to be specific. In total, there should be six of these. And of course, there's…" Her sharp gaze landed on Satella with unrivaled intensity, her black eyes darkening even further.

The recipient of the intense stare is taken aback. "E… Echidna? What's wrong? Is the ring affecting you, too?"

Echidna sighs, composing herself and softening her glare. "No. It's compatible with my greedy heart, I suppose. Anyway, it's nothing you should concern yourself over so long as you _**subdue the**_ ** _shadow of your heart_** and stay away from this ring business as far away as possible **.** You're not a sinner, or at least, you shouldn't be... Besides, how do you even know of this? Did Flugel fill you in too?"

"Uhm… well… I formed a Contract with him that promised he would tell me _everything_ he has in mind for the team." She revealed.

"Oh? Aren't you a daring little girl? Since when have you gotten so bold?"

"Uhm… about that… Echidna…" She started, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to have a talk with her. "About why I had to betr-"

Regrettably, several screaming and hollering noises outside the building interrupted her mid-sentence... as if fate itself determined now is not the right moment for them to have the talk.

Echidna walks over to the window and takes a peek. A platoon of royal knights gathered around outside as a result of the commotion. The situation must have been reported as critical. Of course, with several bodies Regulus turned into gory corpses, it's to be expected. Even the [Sword Saint] Reid Astrea had been dispatched.

"The knights have arrived to clean up this mess. I wanted to interrogate him, but I suppose we don't have a choice but to leave him to them." She informed, staring at Regulus' frozen body. "It's best if we get out of here before we get caught ourselves."

"Oh, right." Agreed Satella, slightly disappointed.

* * *

Pleiades Corps Base of Operations in Lugnica City

"Well done, girls. This mission is a success!" Declared the black-haired Flugel. "[Frost], Emilia of the Elior faction, has been recovered and [Black Greed], Regulus Corneas, is currently detained by the knights. Since this case involved the daughter from one of the major faction, it could have been a real mess if the wedding went through. With the current state of affairs, there's a chance the other factions would have taken advantage of the situation and make a political move against the elven faction. Fortunately, we no longer have to fear that possibility all thanks to your efforts. On our end, we managed to seal the kidnapping of Emilia and any information regarding the whole situation from leaking to the public. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to keep caution and I'll find a way to make Regulus confess his motivation in case there are any loose ends."

Flugel's green-eyed assistant, Shaula, stood next to him. She owns a long dark brown hair tied into a "scorpion tail." Dressed in nothing more but a bikini, a pair of short-shorts, and a green cape, she flaunts an exquisite body figure and a large chest that rivals Minerva's.

In front of the Sage and his assistant, Echidna, Minerva, and Sekhmet are settled around a table. Meanwhile, Daphne, Carmilla, and Typhon retreated to the forests after escaping the chase by Carmilla's over-zealous "admirers." They were informed, via a letter delivered by Daphne's "pet" eagle, that the three youngest members of the team decided to spend the night over at Daphne's shack where she lives.

Flugel glances at Echidna and gives her a special nod for recovering the ring artifact of Greed, which they can't mention to others yet.

"Actually, this mission was very sloppy. You should be ashamed of yourselves." Shaula criticized. "First, that little skirmish at the castle. Second, the mayhem at the market. Third, there are witnesses who claimed to have seen 'Three young girls riding on top of a massive dire wolf.' The knights are bound to investigate those events and the cover-up, which falls under our responsibility, is going to be a pain in the ass. Fourth, five students at the Academy confirmed the witches' existence and learned of your identities as witches." She bluntly exposed their slip-ups, raising a finger as she counted. "And finally, why was Emilia running around the town like a lost and desperate lamb?" Her gaze turned to Echidna. "Would you care to explain, [Greed]?"

Echidna barely managed to contain a snicker when she heard what happened to the half-elf.

"You're such an awful bitch! You're responsible for that, aren't you?!" Minerva accused, crossing her arms, her wrathful eyes burning with rage.

"Who knows?"

Minerva continues her wrathful glare, not having it with her attitude. "Explain."

"I needed to give her the incentive to escape when [Black Greed] was closing in on us. So, I baited her away by taking advantage of Natsuki Subaru's situation… okay, perhaps, I might have exaggerated his condition _a little too much_. That's a mistake on my part, I admit. But it's not like I had any other choice, did I? Her kind-hearted nature didn't want to leave me for dead against [Black Greed]. You know how stubborn she is just like a certain someone who shall not be named. That's all."

"That's all?! That's all?! That's all?! Seriously?! After you played with that poor girl's emotions, that's all?!"

"Haa… loosen up, Minerva… huu… I don't see the big deal… haa… it's just our dear Echidna having a bit of fun… huu… she rescued the girl in the end… haa… even if the situation placed her in an awkward position… huu … that's the most important… haa…" Surprisingly, Sekhmet defended Echidna.

"I'm glad someone understands." Echidna acknowledged with a satisfied smile.

"Fine! I'll withdraw my wrath for now, but I won't forget about this! The next time you pull off another stupid nonsense with her, I'll wipe that stupid smirk off your face with my fists!" Minerva threatened.

"I will gladly keep that in mind."

As a team that somehow _just barely_ gets along, the witches are always prone to arguments and conflicts. When she's in a disagreement with another member, Echidna always makes sure to exercise caution. She would rather avoid a punch or a slap in the face. Due to her twisted personality, which she gladly admits, her looks are perhaps her only good points. So, she would rather not have that ruined.

"Master." Shaula turned to Flugel after they witnessed the witches argue. "I don't believe these girlies are capable of establishing real change. _They're a hot mess_."

"It remains to be seen whether my desperate gamble will pay off, wouldn't it?" Flugel watched them with a pensive expression. "But, chaotic as they may be, I believe in them. Satella, too."

Echidna's attention turns to Flugel. "Well, now that we finished our report, can we go? Or would you rather shame us further and force us to stay here as your slaves? Would it please you if we call you 'Master,' too?"

Shaula grits her teeth in anger. "How dare you say rubbish like that?! Master is not an indecent man! And I'm the only one who's allowed to call Master, 'Master'!"

"Do you not understand the concept of a joke?"

"Your 'jokes' have the tendency to rub people off the wrong way, Echidna. I advise you to be more careful." Flugel suggested. "And as delightful and tempting making you all my slaves sound, I am not that type of person, fortunately for you. So, I kindly dismiss you all for now." He smiled gently. "Until the next mission."

* * *

After their dismissal, they're on their way out of the Pleiades building. Along the way, they spot Satella hugging Emilia in a protective and caring manner. Perhaps, the elder half-elf is regretful due to what could have happened to her sister... and that she wasn't able to do much for her.

The grinning Subaru, who's now in a much better state, is also around the area with Rem, Ram, and Garfiel.

Satella's face lights up when she notices them. Finishing her reunion with her sister, she and Minerva run to engulf each other in a tight embrace. The two have always been the best of friends. And that fact will never change.

"Satella! It's been almost a month! Have you been doing alright, dear?"  
"Hehe, yes. Nothing to worry about~."

As Satella and Minerva caught up with each other's lives, Emilia approaches Echidna with Subaru by her side.

"Uhm… Echidna… thank you for saving me." Emilia bowed slightly, displaying her gratitude.

Echidna frowns. It always made her uncomfortable when people expressed their gratitude and appreciation to her. "Should you not be cursing me out right now? Just like that boy who's desperately holding his tongue." Her eyes shift to Subaru who's trying his hardest not to lash out at her for the stunt she pulled with Emilia.

Once he was called out, Subaru could no longer contain himself. "YOU-"

Emilia squeezes his hand tight to keep him silent. "Well… hehe…" She chuckled nervously. "What you did was sooo mean but I'm sure you only did that because you didn't want to put me in a dangerous situation. You had to risk your life in order to save me… that's why I wish you had not done that, Echidna."

Echidna frowns once again. "You're far too optimistic for your own good..."

After the exchange, Subaru is able to calm down and the thick atmosphere was somewhat lifted.

"I still don't trust her." Subaru stated nonetheless.

"Good for you. You shouldn't trust a 'Witch' anyway~." Echidna agreed as a matter of fact.

"The Witches of Lugnica, huh?" Ram interjected. "Who would have thought they're actually real and not just some mindless rumors? And to think, some of its members are students at Lugnica City Academy; Minerva-san and the smartest student in the entire Academy, Echidna-senpai. And apparently, Carmilla-san, too?" For whatever reason, her tone exhibited hostility when she mentioned Echidna.

"Ahahaha… don't worry. They promised to keep quiet about the whole situation." Emilia guaranteed the witches.

"Whatever. I don't really care." Said the pink-haired twin before raising a finger towards Garfiel. "It's this ruffian and his uncontrollable mouth you should be worrying about."

Rem nods in agreement. "Yes. Rem and nee-sama will keep quiet about this. Rem also agrees it's this boy you should worry about."

"Whoa, ey, ey! Why ya gangin' up on me like that?! I won't tell 'nyone! Geez!" Garfiel protested the twins' insults.

All of the sudden, Emilia was hugged from behind by Minerva.

"Are you alright, dear? That man didn't do anything disgusting to you, did he?" Minerva asked with concern in her voice.

Emilia shakes her head to indicate she's perfectly fine and turns around to return the embrace.

With Minerva spending her time with Emilia this time around, Satella is about to approach Echidna...

"Oh? Do you want to embrace me, too? You should know I'm nothing like Minerva. I'm sorry but I'm just not into sentimental stuff like that."

"Uhm… how unfortunate… that would have been nice…" Satella played along before her expression turned serious. "Anyway, I… I just want to talk… if that's okay… there's something I want to discuss… alone." She still hasn't given up the idea of a one-on-one talk about what happened one month ago with her "betrayal."

"As much as I would like to have that enlightening talk with you, I'm going to have to decline. I REALLY have to be on my way home now. I'm a busy girl, you know. I still have matters to take care over at the orphanage." She excused herself. "I'll see you around the Academy, Satella." She said her parting words, walking coldly past her.

A frown of disappointment envelops Satella's face as she watches the white-haired girl walk away. She knows Echidna just wanted to avoid her. After all, Echidna had always expressed dislike and hostility towards her even before her "betrayal." At this rate, she may never get the chance to explain herself…

As Sekhmet is about to walk past Satella, she places an arm on top of the half-elf's shoulder. "Don't let her get to you… huu… she's being a sore loser like always… haa… she'll get over it eventually…" Leaving words of encouragement to the half-elf, she followed after Echidna.

When she noticed them leaving, Minerva immediately sprints after the two before she gets left out.

In the meantime, Satella's purple orbs are fixated on the three as they walk farther and farther away into the distance, slowly disappearing from her view. She smiled melancholically, feelings of longing slowly creeping through her. A moment later, she felt the ache of her heart, and a single tear flows down her eye.

She yearns to be together with them once more. The moments the seven of them spent together were easily the best moments of her life... even though Echidna never liked her. They were a group of lost, shunned, bizarre, and peculiar individuals who have no place in society. A group who somehow manage to find comfort among each other even if they frequently argue and bicker about almost everything.

The realization that those times may never come back frightens her.

Out of the blue, as if he sensed her distress, Subaru holds her hand in affirmation. Satella faces him and forces a smile.

 _"Ah, that's right... I still have my love."_

 _..._

 _"I will do everything to ensure I never lose him too."_

 _..._

 _" **No matter what happens**."_


	4. Chapter 3: The Academy

**A/N**

 **Dunno if anyone's actually keeping up with this, but I changed the elven faction name from Celestia to Elior. lol**

* * *

April 9  
Elior Mansion

"The Season of New Beginnings," said a gray-haired elven man melancholically. "It's that time of the year when my dearest daughters leave me for the academy again, huh? Seriously, you're both growing up way too fast! For a parent, this is quite the ordeal!"

The elf owns a pair of impish black eyes and his left ear contains a large golden earring. Known across the kingdom as Pack, he's the chief of House Elior, the faction representing those of elven bloodlines.

Before he engages in another stressful day full of political affairs, he's currently having a pleasant breakfast with his "daughters," Satella and Emilia. Both of whom are getting ready to set off to Lugnica City Academy. Throughout the duration of the school year, they will be staying in the academy dorms. Thus, this might be the last time they'll be spending time together for a little while.

"Ahaha, don't worry, dad. We'll make sure to visit often. Right, nee-san?"

Satella nods with a smile. "Of course."

"Well, in any case, I hope you both have another great year at the academy! And Satella, don't forget to look after Lia, kay?"

"I know. You don't have to remind me." She reassured, reaching out to hold her sister's hand in a protective manner.

With the incident from almost three weeks ago still fresh in their minds, Pack seems perturbed about his family being targeted by unscrupulous individuals. It's certainly a cause for concern, but he trusts Satella to protect both herself and Emilia.

Then, all of the sudden, a threatening aura begins to build up around Pack. "As for that boy, Natsuki Subaru… heheh…" He chuckled darkly. "That boy better not do anything indecent to either one of you! Otherwise, I'll personally make him experience hell myself! Hmph!" He ended his threat with arms crossed.

Satella's face turns red, looking a little mischevious. "Well… hehehe…"

On the other hand, Emilia raises both hands in mid-air to demonstrate no such indecency is to occur. "D-dad! Subaru is nothing like who you think he is!"

* * *

Lugnica City Academy  
08:00

Underneath the ordinary gray and gloomy skies of Lugnica Kingdom, the half-elf siblings arrived in the academy via a carriage.

Because it's the first school day of the year, the front gates are flooded by arriving carriages and motor cars from other children of nobility, along with numerous commoner students. Nevertheless, the crowded environment doesn't hinder Natsuki Subaru from spotting the Elior carriage.

Upon finding the carriage, he approached and opened the door. "Yo, my lovely silver half-elves!" Grinning with a heavy dose of pride, he presented his welcoming arms.

The half-elf siblings gracefully accept his offer, each taking a piece of his outstretched arms as he gently guides them out of the carriage. Once they're out, they make their way towards the academy with Subaru holding both of their hands.

Naturally, the public display of affection drew the attention of the surrounding students, especially the haughty nobles.

The polyamorous relationship between the three is well-known throughout the academy and is a subject of much controversy. Most students, particularly the envious male students, are baffled by the relationship. For instance, why would two gracious and beautiful half-elves, who also happened to be the daughters of a major House like Elior, go out with an "annoying foreigner" like Subaru? In general, they shouldn't even give him an ounce of attention! He's simply not worth it! And yet, here he is, not only dating one but both of them!

"Damn, boss is so cool!" Amongst the crowd, Garfiel complimented the boy he refers to as "boss."

"I'm so jealous! How the heck can one guy be this lucky?!" questioned Otto, wondering what he can do to earn such luck.

Besides Garfiel and Otto stood the twins, Rem and Ram.

Without saying anything, Ram places a hand on top of her sister's shoulder. The gesture is meant to comfort the girl who also happens to have strong romantic feelings for Subaru.

"Don't worry about Rem, nee-sama! Rem is never giving up!" Rem declared with conviction. "A battle may have been won, but the war is far from over! Rem will not lose to silver-haired half-elves!"

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Academy**

* * *

Today marks the start of Satella's third and final year in the academy.

Unlike her, both Emilia and Subaru are still in their second year. Therefore, they had to drop her off by her assigned class section, 3A, before heading into their own, 2C.

Before going their separate ways, Satella gives Subaru a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll see you later, love."

Afterward, Satella looks on as Emilia and Subaru walk away hand-in-hand with mixed emotions on her face. No matter how many times she _tries_ to convince herself the relationship with Subaru and her sister is "perfect" the way it is, she still has a hard time accepting that she can't have Subaru all to herself. On top of that, her mind is always being overwhelmed with negative emotions, which isn't of her own making, but someone else's. Or at least, that's what she tries to tell herself.

As she watches them gradually disappear from her line of sight, the pace of her breathing and beating heart increase. Then, a wave of lightheadedness pounce on her head, disorienting her perception of sight and sound, and turning her whole world into an incomprehensible blur.

Some harsh, hissy voice proceeds to assault her thoughts.

" _Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. He's yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever."_

" _Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"_ She fought back against the voice which sounds exactly like her, clutching her head with both hands. _"I will_ _ **NEVER**_ _hurt Lia!"_

" _Liar. Stop lying to yourself. You know what you really want. You want him all to yourself. You want to own him. Only you. And no one else. Only you. And no one else. Only you. And n-"_

"Hmmm?" A familiar voice, different from the one inside her head, hummed. "Do you realize how foolish you look right now?"

Although there was obvious malice, the new voice snapped her out of her mental discomfort, resulting in the disappearance of the voices. Of course, the owner of the malicious voice who momentarily "saved" her from the voices is none other than Echidna. Her apathetic black eyes are staring at the half-elf behind her lenses-less pair of glasses that she wears every time she's within the confines of the academy.

"Hey, E-Echidna… heheh…" greeted the half-elf nervously, slightly embarrassed.

"Actually, never mind. You can do whatever you want for all I care. It would please me if you go ahead and jump off a cliff, in fact," suggested the white-haired girl harshly, walking past her into the classroom.

The girl's cold attitude caused her to frown. She doesn't understand why, but Echidna had always treated her with so much hostility… dating back even before her "betrayal." The hostile act is very strange, to say the least. She can't ever recall doing something to earn that treatment. On the contrary, she wanted to be friends with her, but that's clearly not an option with the way things currently stand between them.

" _Seriously… what's her problem with me? No one has ever treated me like this before. And if I'm being quite honest, her hateful eyes are rather frightening…"_

Never mind the hostile girl at the moment, she really needs to do something about the "voices" within her. But, what can she do about it? Where do the "voices" even come from? And why do they always say something abhorrent, especially towards Emilia?

This isn't the first time the voices made their presence known. It happens occasionally… whether during her everyday life or a nightmare. Normally, it occurs when she feels _a pang of envy in her heart._

Certainly, it feels…

 _ **Repulsive**_.

* * *

At the start of the day's first class, a blue-haired man enters the room. He's a tall, lean and handsome man that oozes class and charisma. Furthermore, he has a monocle on his left eye that gives his appearance a certain degree of strangeness.

His eyes dart around the room, observing the students of Class 3A with a satisfied expression.

"Ahh, the pure and innocent souls of the young." He murmured quietly under his breath before raising his voice. "I welcome each and every one of you to your third and final year! I, Mr. Clind, will be serving as your homeroom instructor for the year! Together, we shall conquer the year with flying colors!" He welcomed back the class with an elegant bow. "Also, I do not intend to be arrogant or anything, but I am certain I will be quite an improvement over Ms. Baumann, your previous homeroom instructor!" He declared with a smug smile.

His declaration was met with immediate disapproval. Ms. Baumann, Frederica, was an amazing homeroom instructor for the class last year. Almost everyone views her in a positive light, believing she's the best instructor in the entire academy. Specifically, they like the freedom she gave her students and she also became friends with many of them. It would be quite an achievement if he manages to surpass her. In fact, his bold declaration already rubbed people off the wrong way.

Perhaps, realizing it's not going to the direction he wants, Clind calls for their attention by clapping his hands, asserting his authority. "Now then, to start off the year, I want you all to introduce yourselves!" He announced, changing the current topic of discussion.

Groans were audible throughout the room.

"I know, I know! You have done this in the previous two years and most of you know each other already. However, I do not know your names, do I? Do you not think we will have better teacher-student relations if we are all in the same boat?"

And with that, student introductions commenced.

"My name is Satella. Let's have another great year, everyone!" Satella was the first prominent figure in the class to introduce herself. Her delightful smile sent many boys into fantasy land. She owns a spot as one of the most popular figures in the entire academy, earning a number of admirers and followers due to her kind and friendly personality, as well as her beautiful appearance.

"Julius Juukulius. It's an honor, instructor." Julius, a knight from the Hoshin faction, introduced himself, flipping a portion of his hair with a finger. Many girls in the class almost fainted as a result of his coolness. He also serves as the head of the Student Discipline Committee and he relentlessly pursues rule-breakers with ruthlessness.

"I'm Reinhard Astrea. May everyone receive good fortunes throughout the course of the year." Knight Reinhard, the resident nice guy of the class, graced everyone with his presence. Despite his young age, he's already one of the most powerful warriors in the entire continent. Moreover, he's rumored to be the next Astrea to take the mantle of [Sword Saint] after Reid. But, unlike his knight counterpart in Julius, he doesn't serve any of the major Houses. For most of his life, he has been pursuing the hopeless goal of finding his [missing princess].

"I am Roswaal Mathers. Like always, I will cooooontinue~ to pursue myyyyy~ one and ooooonly~ goal in life!" Roswaal, dubbed as the _class clown_ , sneaked a glance towards Echidna and giggled like a girl, covering his mouth with a hand. "Heeheehee…" The young nobleman has massive magical potential due to his affinity with all elements. However, because of his eccentricity, no one really takes him seriously. He's especially notorious for his unrequited crush on Echidna. He also has two servants, Rem and Ram, and the foreigner Subaru lives in his mansion.

"Crusch Karsten of the Karsten House. It's an honor, Instructor Clind." The chivalrous and charismatic Crusch greeted Clind before turning to her fellow classmates, placing an arm across her chest. "Once again, I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your Student Council President. I will do my utmost best to improve this academy and represent each and every one of you! May we all have a fruitful and productive year!" For the third straight year running, Crusch had been voted as the Student Council President. She's quite an accomplished woman at a young age. For instance, she's already the leader of the Karsten faction.

"Ferris-nyan!" The cat demi-human knight, Ferris Argyle, greeted with a wink and a peace sign. "Remember not to bother Crusch-sama too much, nyan! If you have business with her, make sure to consult me first, nyan?" He serves as Crusch's loyal knight, almost sticking to her like a shadow at all times. People often mistake him for a girl, _but he's actually a guy._

"Echidna," came Echidna's one-word introduction. She's the academy's most intellectual student ever. Throughout the first two years, she perfected ALL tests, quizzes, homework, presentations, and projects. Not a single blemish can be found in her academic record. She's also a renowned book author, having written critically acclaimed novels such as [Metamorphosis]. Like Satella, many students fell for her beauty. But unlike the half-elf, she has a cold, intimidating, and mysterious aura that surrounds her. Thus, most students are too intimidated to even strike a conversation with her… except for the class clown Roswaal.

Finally, the introductions were soon finished.

Upon its conclusion, Clind claps his hands rapidly. "Ah, wonderful! So wonderful! Thank you for your gracious introductions, everyone! I see plenty of untapped potentials hidden deep beneath your innocent youth! And as your homeroom instructor for the most important year of your academic life, I will do my best to help you reach that potential!"

* * *

In an instant, the first half of the day passed and now, it's time for lunch.

As the students of 3A leave the room…

"Echidna! Oh, hooooow~ wonderful it is to seeeee~ you again, my snow princess!" Roswaal kneeled down before Echidna and offered an outstretched hand. "Speeeeend~ the lunch breeeeeak~ with me, yes? I shaaaaall~ treat you with whaaaaatever~ you like, my dearest!"

"I'm sorry but I'm busy." She rejected the offer, bowing slightly before walking past him.

"Hooooow~ disappointing!" The class clown stood up with a smile despite the rejection. "But I suppose thaaaaat~ cold ambiance is what makes you sooooo~ worth it." He blushed. Deep inside his mind, he's imagining Echidna standing in the middle of a snow field with snow calmly falling down the skies and the breeze of wind causing her majestic hair to dance. In his opinion, such a scene would bring out Echidna's beauty to its absolute peak.

"Uwu. That was definitely a ruthless rejection, nyan. Nyahahaha!" Ferris chuckled as he walked past Roswaal together with Crusch.

Meanwhile, Satella frowns slightly as she watches the scene. She can never understand why Echidna felt the need to put on a different personality "mask" for every situation; the ordinary and average mask for the "normal" Echidna, the confident and sinister mask for the "witch" Echidna, the reclusive and silent mask for the "student" Echidna, and so on.

Whatever the case may be, Echidna will always be Echidna to the half-elf… because no matter what "version" of herself she presents, she's always hostile to her.

Although, she can't help but wonder… just who is the "real" Echidna?

* * *

During lunch, Satella lodges in the same table together with Emilia, Subaru and their friends; Otto, Ram, Rem, and the first year Garfiel.

Overall, Subaru's group is a happy and lively bunch, but she often feels out of place. She rarely interacts with anyone other than Subaru and Emilia. It's not because she dislikes everyone else, but she's frequently preoccupied about her "friends," the witches. She wished she can spend time with them the same way prior to what happened two months ago. Unfortunately, she doesn't feel she would be welcomed after her "betrayal…" and Echidna will most likely push her away.

Whether she likes it or not, this might be the new reality she has to accept; an everyday life without them.

"Say ahhhh…" Subaru offered her a spoonful of food, interrupting her thoughts.

She happily accepted with a giggle. Then, he does the same for Emilia.

"That was a bit embarrassing…" Emilia blushed slightly. "But, thank you for the treat!"

"Rem wants to be fed, too, Subaru-kun!" Rem requested after witnessing the heartwarming display of affection.

Besides her, Ram suddenly lost her appetite and stopped eating.

"Ah, fine, fine! I'll just feed everyone, then!"

Subaru stands up, fills his spoon with food and leans across the table to reach Rem. However, he withdraws abruptly when he notices Satella's dejected expression.

"Huh? What's wrong, Satella-tan? Did something happen?"

"Well," started the half-elf, not knowing how to explain the discomfort in her heart.

She's well aware of the blue-haired girl's romantic feelings for Subaru, prompting her to develop _"disgusting" thoughts_ about the girl. Similar to Emilia's case, she would like to believe these negative thoughts doesn't stem from her heart, but from "the voices" that often bothers her _._ While it's true she does want Subaru all to herself, it's not to the point where she wants to harm her love rivals. "The voices" assume otherwise, however.

Be that as it may, she's also dissatisfied with Subaru for continuously stoking the fire in the girl's heart whether he does it intentionally or not, or whether he reciprocate her feelings or not. She tried to convince herself Subaru's happiness should be the most important to her. So, if claiming Rem would result in a happier Subaru, then it shouldn't bother her at all. But, her heart would NEVER agree to that. Her beloved sister will be as far as she can – begrudgingly - accept, and no one else.

"Ehh, boss. Ya gotta read the mood better," whispered Garfiel. Even he can't believe how daring his boss is to feed another girl in front of his "girlfriends."

"Yeah, man," agreed Otto, disappointed with Subaru's obliviousness.

"What the heck are you two going on about?!" asked the confused Subaru, showcasing his thick-headedness.

Emilia understands the situation and tries to find a solution without hurting the feelings of both Rem, her best friend, and Satella, her sister. "Uhm… maybe… well…" Unfortunately, words escaped her.

Then, out of nowhere, Ram shoves a spoonful into Rem's mouth. "There. Since you wanted to be fed so badly, I did it myself. Happy?"

"Nee-sama…"

"Hahaha! There you go, Rem! Good job, nee-sama!" Subaru gave a thumb of approval to the pink-haired twin.

Emilia also gestures a "thank you" smile to Ram, which the latter shrugs off.

After the minor, perhaps petty, incident, the group returned to its normal state with Subaru joking around, and Emilia, Satella, and Rem laughing at his jokes despite their obvious lack of quality humor. As for the others, Garfiel tries to engage Ram in a conversation, while the pink-haired girl does her very best not to strangle the first year.

The peaceful and happy vibes remained until they were visited by an unexpected guess.

A cute purple-haired girl wearing a fur hat and a fluffy version of the academy's uniform stopped by their table, accompanied by the knight Julius.

"Milady, I don't think this is a good idea…" Julius, for whatever reason, seemed really anxious.

"Ya just relax, Juli! This'll be fine and dandy, ya know," assured the purple-haired girl.

Otto instantly recognizes her. "T-that's the first year, Anastasia Hoshin! She's the representative of the Hoshin faction!"

The girl, whose name is apparently Anastasia, winks, and waves at Otto. "Heya!"

"Ya know er?" Garfiel asked Otto.

"Yes… she made a big mess this morning when she declared, in front of everyone by the way, that she's after my title as the top merchant in the academy. She claimed she will destroy my profits…"

Garfiel gulped at the threat, while Anastasia maintained a lovely smile.

Otto is well-known around the academy as a very reputable merchant. A lot of students rely on him when they need items that aren't available in any of the academy stores. Sometimes, his inventory even contains black market items! Luckily for him, he's able to keep some of his illegal endeavors under wraps from the watchful eyes of the Student Council President, Crusch, and the head of the Student Discipline Committee, Julius.

So, for Anastasia to openly challenge him, there's no doubt she must have a great deal of confidence.

"Anastasia," greeted Satella with a neutral tone. As daughters of the four main factions, they had a few encounters before. "To what do we owe you the pleasure?"

"Ah, let's see." Anastasia placed a finger down her chin. "Hmm… ah, I wanna know whether lil Emilia is fine! Dunno about these rumors' credibility, but a birdie told me she was kidnapped by some crazy buffoon! And as wacky as this sounds, she was saved by the witches! Ooh, yes, that's right, the witches! I wanna ask about them!" A look of excitement enveloped her face as she turned to Emilia. "The Witches of Lugnica! They real?! Ya seen them?! What are they like?!"

The table was stunned silence by her announcement while Julius facepalms in the background.

The students around the vicinity caught on to what she said and soon, the information spread like wildfire throughout the whole cafeteria. As a result, a crowd of students gathered around them, bombarding them with questions.

"Woah, the Witches of Lugnica?!"  
"You're kidding! They're real?!"  
"That's bullshit! There's no way they're real!"  
"Yeah! Who would believe that nonsense! They're a myth!"  
"But the Hoshin girl said Emilia was kidnapped! And then, she was saved by the witches!"  
"Emilia was kidnapped?! Saved by the witches?! What?!"  
"Why weren't these in the newspapers, then?!"  
"Are any of these true, Emilia?!"

"Well… uhm…" Emilia was unable to formulate a proper response. Lying is an absolute no-no to her but at the same time, she couldn't tell them the truth either.

Subaru stands up, clearly irritated by how much the situation escalated. "What the hell are yall gathering around here for?! Get lost, you damn rumor-mongers!"

The crowd ignored his words and kept pressing for answers.

"Ugh! Do you want me to punch every single one of you?!"

Anastasia stares at the crowd she herself caused to gather and gasps. "Ara! How careless of me! I shoulda been careful with my words!"

This time, Satella takes a stand and faces the crowd with unyielding conviction. "None of these were true! They are all useless rumors! Nothing more!" Satella declared, hoping to kill off the discussion. "Do you honestly believe Subaru and I will allow something like that to happen to Lia?! As you can see, she's perfectly fine!"

The weight of guilt tugged on her heart. But, she saw her lies as a necessary evil. Likewise, the same can be said about Subaru.

"Sooo… ya saying my info is fake?! None of them really happened?!" Anastasia asked with a surprised tone.

The half-elf's piercing glare turned to her. "They are. Where did you even hear this rubbish?"

"I'm sorry but that's private info. I'm under Contract not to speak of them! Although, if what you're saying is true, I'll make sure to get [them] back for spreading false info! That's a serious crime, ya know!"

Even with Satella's attempt to dispel the rumors, the storm wasn't quelled. Many students believe there's more to the story. And so, they continued pressing for answers.

"Hey! All of you! Get the hell out of here and go back to eating your lunches!" An intimidating voice demanded out of nowhere. "Unless, if you want to stay here and feel my wrath!"

The crowd turns around and sees Minerva with her fists clenched. Behind her, a hint of the hiding Carmilla can be observed. And besides the blonde, stands the knight, Reinhard.

Upon the sight of the wrathful Minerva and the authoritative Reinhard, the students immediately scatter and return to their respective tables.

Finally, the commotion ended.

"Yo, Reinhard! Thanks for getting rid of those assholes! They were getting really annoying! I was THIS close to losing my cool!" Subaru thanked the red-haired knight.

"Don't worry about it," said Reinhard with a kind smile. "Well, I'll excuse myself for now. Good day, everyone." Having said his farewell, he disappeared elsewhere.

"Aw, wish he could've stayed and chatted for a bit!" Subaru, who happens to be friends with Reinhard, grumbled a little.

"Apparently, a blonde first-year caught his attention. He's been looking around for her and trying to figure out her name!" explained Minerva. "I find it weird why he would be interested in a first year, but that's his business, I guess."

"Minerva!" Satella greeted her best friend in excitement. "Uhm… by the way, where's Echidna?" She asked, wondering why the white-haired girl isn't with them. The three are usually seen together.

"Echidna-chan… is in... her club room… writing… her novels… as usual…" Carmilla answered the half-elf's curiosity.

"It's boring there so we decided to walk around! And then, we witness this stupid nonsense!" added Minerva.

"If that distasteful girl isn't around, why don't the two of you join us?" Subaru invited.

They accept the invitation and settle themselves in the table.

As for Echidna, Subaru still hasn't forgiven her for "exaggerating" his condition to Emilia during the wedding incident. He's been rather antagonistic towards her.

"I suppose I've overstayed my welcome. I'm truly sorry for the troubles," apologized Anastasia, reminding everyone of her presence.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure you didn't mean any harm, Anastasia," reassured Emilia.

"Oh, thank you! You're such a kind girl, Emilia." The Hoshin representative grinned at the half-elf. "Well, I'll see yall later!" She waved both hands before leaving.

"I apologize for the trouble milady caused. Please, forgive her. She gets carried away sometimes." Julius added his own apology before following Anastasia.

Once Hoshin and her knight were out of the vicinity…

"This is a problem," stated Ram.

"Indeed, Rem can sense this will be really troublesome," agreed Rem.

"S'it really a big deal? V'ryone will think it's just rumers nd' everythin', right?" Garfiel tried to be optimistic.

"Use your brain for once. The rumors are not the only issue. The fact that someone who knew what happened leaked the information is the bigger problem."

"Indeed, nee-sama is right. The incident was to be hidden from the public. Not only to keep the witches' existence a secret but to protect the image of the Elior faction at the same time."

"Hm. Had this information been released to the public, the other factions would have surely taken advantage of the situation and slander the Elior faction. They could have even pushed the public to believe the witches' existence in order to associate the faction with them." Ram turned her attention to Minerva and Carmilla. "No offense to both of you, but even if the public believes the witches are real, they don't exactly have a favorable opinion. And that's not even mentioning the vile cult associated with you…"

Ram referred to the cult known as [The Witch Cult]. They're a mysterious group who occasionally unleashes mayhem across the kingdom. In particular, there's a notorious branch of the cult named [The Wings of Infinity] who had been engaging an underground guerrilla warfare against the King and his cohorts. The Witches of Lugnica doesn't have any connection to the cult, but the public would undoubtedly put two and two together.

"I don't really care. As long as I get the opportunity to ease people's suffering, that's all that matters to me!" Minerva asserted.

"That's why." Rem continued her sister's line of thought. "For Anastasia-sama, of all people, to know what really happened…"

"Someone involved with the [Wedding Infiltration] mission, be it someone from the Pleiades Corps or the witches themselves, might have leaked it." Ram finished off. "But then again, it could also be the work of a different party altogether."

"That's outrageous! No one in the team would do that!" Minerva quickly denied the proposition.

"I'm not saying that's the case. It's just a possibility we can't afford to overlook."

Otto slumps his head against the table. "Phew… it's really problematic when rumors spread. Most people will take it as facts and run with the story…"

Emilia frowns, the weight of guilt bearing down on her. "This is all my fault. If I had not…"

"Stop blaming yourself for this!" Subaru almost shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you none of this is your fault?! You can't blame yourself for getting forced into marriage by some asshole! If anything, it's my fault for losing to that jerk and failing to protect you!" He looked pained due to his failure. "That's why, from now on, as Emilia-tan and Satella-tan's knight, I promise I will never let anything like that EVER happen again! I will work harder than everyone to improve and grow stronger!" A fire of determination burned in his eyes. "So that none of you will get taken away from me again!"

"Subaru…"

"Hm, he's right, you know. I bear some responsibility as well," joined Satella, not wanting Subaru to carry all the burden. "I, too, promise to become stronger, so I may protect everyone I care about."

" _I won't let this precious everyday life be taken away from me…"_

"Nee-san…" said Emilia softly. Then, she shook her head and declared, "No! I will have to become stronger myself, so none of you may carry the burden of protecting me! I will become a better version of myself, so I can stand up on my own!" The fiery half-elf stood up with clenched fists.

"Ahaha, seriously!" chuckled Minerva. "What's up with all the blame game? It's that greedy dirt bag's fault for instigating the whole incident in the first place! And for what it's worth, how about lets all vow to become stronger together?"

"Heck yeah!" Subaru and Garfiel cheered simultaneously in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Subaru and his group found their determination, the most prominent students in the academy reacted variously to the scene.

* * *

"Anastasia Hoshin. That girl got some nerves, nyan! How dare she pull off a sly move like that on the first day?! Is she trying to start a factional war?!" Ferris accused after he observed the commotion with Crusch. "To be so bold when Crusch-sama is still around! What a cocky first year!"

Crusch didn't say anything. During the first two years, along with the current year, she ruled over the academy as its Student Council President. An achievement belonging only to her out of the daughters of the major Houses. To possess strong leadership capabilities at her age, perhaps it will be a merit that will give her and the Karsten House advantages in the kingdom's future political scene.

The second-year Priscilla of the Barielle House instigated some trouble with her mischief but she hadn't done anything serious… yet. Other than a few words of threats here and there, she hadn't made a move on Crusch. Nonetheless, she's too unpredictable and at some point, Crusch predicted she will make her move to gain an advantage over her. So, she maintains a close eye on Barielle.

As for the half-elves of Elior, Crusch doesn't perceive a threat coming from them because they stay out of trouble and mind their own business. However, she remains cautious towards Satella. For some reason, something feels off about the older half-elf sibling.

And finally, Anastasia Hoshin had already made the situation interesting by instigating damaging rumors against House Elior. There's no doubt in Crusch's mind this year will be different from the previous ones. She has to keep her guard up if she's to remain on top.

* * *

On the other side of the cafeteria, sat Priscilla Barielle. Before her table, there were five students, who she claimed as her servants for the year, kneeling before her on the ground. Sitting beside her is the school janitor named Al with a sack bag over his head. In spite of his odd appearance, he serves as Priscilla's knight.

"That was quite the scene, miss. Do you think there's some truth behind the Hoshin girl's words?" Al noted to his mistress.

"Fufu~. Who knows? I don't care. Whatever happens to them is none of my concern. Favor will always find me." Priscilla dismissed with an uninterested expression. "Although, I have to admit watching that sly fox Hoshin going after the weak was marvelous." She licked her lips. "It's tempting me to make a move."

Her observant eyes methodically move around the cafeteria. First, at Emilia and Satella's table. Next, to Crusch. And finally, to the walking Anastasia.

"I wonder… who shall have the pleasure of getting trampled under my boots first?"

* * *

After the encounter with Subaru and his friends a while ago, Anastasia and Julius make their way back to their table.

"Uhm, welcome back, I guess." The first-year Joshua Juukulius, Julius' younger brother, greeted upon their return.

Before either Juukulius can bring up the latest commotion their lady initiated, Anastasia quickly indulges in her meal, eating voraciously.

"Yum~. This academy does serve delish food! I'm relieved! My concerns are eased!"

Julius can only sigh. He can already tell it will be a really troublesome year.


	5. Chapter 4: The Great Rift

Once the first day of classes was over, Satella and Echidna were greeted by Minerva and Carmilla outside of the 3A classroom. Subaru and his crew were also around the vicinity, waiting for Satella.

"Satella! You should come with us to the hideout! We're having a 'tea party' as a good luck for the year!" Minerva invited the half-elf.

"No, I won't agree to that. She's not one of us anymore." Echidna instantly rebuked, reminding everyone that indeed, Satella had betrayed them. Thus, in her perspective, the half-elf doesn't have the right to be with them anymore.

The blonde gave her the full wrath of her glare. "Shut the hell up! That's not for you to decide! What are you, a dictator?!" She turned to Carmilla. "Carmilla! You're with me, right?!"

"Eek!" The pinkette squealed due to being called out. "Uhmm…" She nervously took a glance at Echidna before turning away. "I… I've… never really… liked Satella-chan… but… we're not complete without her… because... she will always be one of us… no matter what happens... so, I guess... it would make me a little happy... if she's around..."

"Good point!" The blonde nodded furiously. "I'm sure the rest of us share the same sentiment except evil Echidna!" She turned to Satella. "Well?! You're going, right?! That's a yes, right?! Right?!"

"Uhm…"

Satella felt extremely relieved and grateful that the girls still consider her a friend and a part of them despite her "betrayal," well, except Echidna. But, while Minerva's invitation may seem harmless on the surface, this is quite the predicament for her. She's placed in a position where she has to choose between her friends and her love, Subaru.

Subaru and his crew also planned the first-day party at Roswaal's mansion, which is located near the academy. She already guaranteed her presence at the party. And by the rule of "the first promise should take precedence," along with Subaru being there, there's no reason why she shouldn't be there. However, she can't let the opportunity to reconcile with the witches to pass either. Both Subaru and the witches are significant parts of her everyday life.

Her gaze dances back and forth between Subaru, Emilia, and their friends, and Minerva and the witches. The pressure of her choice began to mount as if this very choice will be a monumental event, _even though it shouldn't be._

Ultimately…

"Hm. Very well." She nodded, accepting Minerva's invitation.

The usually fiery Minerva displayed a radiant grin, while Echidna frowned in disappointment. The latter was caught off-guard by the half-elf's unexpected choice, to put it mildly. _Knowing_ about the half-elf's predicament, she was certain Satella would have and SHOULD have chosen to be with Subaru over them. She really hates it when someone or something goes against her expectations.

Once the half-elf comes to terms with her decision, she informs Subaru about her sudden "change of mind."

"Is that so? Ah, well. Whatever, that's fine. You miss being with your friends and everything, right?" A mixture of disappointment and understanding were apparent in his tone.

Subaru is not that oblivious not to notice she doesn't get along nor does she really interact with anyone in his group other than Emilia… so, of course, she would want to spend time with her "real" friends. He usually tries to encourage interaction between her and his group, but nothing comes out of it most of the time. It's quite disappointing for him. He really wants her to get along with everyone. And perhaps, he _MIGHT_ have also enlightened the idea of distancing her away from the witches due to his distrust of the girls with the exception of Minerva.

"Oh, hold on a minute! I got an idea! Why not just invite them to Ros-chi's place?" He grinned as he thought of another solution. "That way, we can all be there! Great idea, right?!"

"I was considering that but… there's no way Echidna, Carmilla, and Sekhmet would come; Carmilla hates everyone aside from the girls, Sekhmet is too lazy to leave the hideout, and Echidna, well, Echidna reasons. I don't want to splinter their opinions more than I already have, sooooo…"

He sighed, disappointed once again. "I see. Well, you have fun, alright?"

"Hm. I will. Thank you, Subaru."

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Great Rift**

* * *

Upon arriving at the doorstep of the Witches' Hideout, Satella can't help but feel a little nostalgic.

The hideout is nothing more, but an old rundown building situated near the academy. Based on its appearance, there's nothing special about it. It's just one of the many buildings blended with the dull environment. Not to mention, the walls are decorated with cracks and tainted with dirt. Nevertheless, this is the place where she holds many valuable memories.

Minerva knocked on the door. It took a while before it opened, revealing Sekhmet.

The slothful woman looked a little surprised when she noticed the half-elf. "Haa… nice to see you, Satella…" She welcomed with a soft smile.

After exchanging a few words of greetings, she led them in.

The inside of the building appears to be much more pleasant than the outside. Although there's nothing outrageous or special about it, it has a very comfortable and homey atmosphere. For instance, the floors were wooden, and the walls were painted using nature's colors. In addition, there's a roundtable where the witches hold discussions and eat, a spacey living room where Daphne and Typhon often play, faux flowers and plant furniture, ornaments, and walls decorated by abstract paintings.

With the exception of Daphne, who lives in the forest, and Satella, this is where most of the witches reside when they're out of school. But with the recent semester, Echidna, Minerva, and Carmilla moved to the academy dorms, leaving only Sekhmet and Typhon as the current residents.

All in all, long abandoned by their family, this place is a home to them.

Daphne and Typhon, who were playing with Daphne's pet rabbits, were alerted by the presence of the newcomers and their faces lit up in joy.

"Ooh, Tella-Tella's here too? This is going to be fun~!"

"Tella!" Typhon ran to embrace the half-elf. "I miss you, you know! How long has it been, almost two months? You should come visit me sometimes, you know!"

The half-elf gently caressed the girl's green bob-cut hair. "Ahahaha… there's really no excuse for not coming to see you, is there? But don't worry, now that you reminded me, I promise plenty of visits~!"

"I'll hold you on to that! Not keeping a promise is an act of eviiiiil~, you know! And Tella, unlike Dona, is not evil!"

After catching up with lost time, Satella played around with Typhon, Daphne, and the rabbits. In due course, the unwilling Carmilla was also dragged into the fun. And so was Sekhmet who managed to stay indifferent and bored in spite of a number of rabbits climbing across her robes.

Meanwhile, Echidna and Minerva were left to take care of the preparations. They set up cups of tea, cookies, and biscuits in the roundtable. Additionally, they've also baked several sweets and bread using recipes they've been trying out lately.

Once the preparations were finished, everyone gathered around the table. It was now time to start the party, a routine party they call… [The Witches' Tea Party].

Licking her lips in delight, Daphne immediately reaches out for a bread, but Minerva stops her hand before she can grab one.

"Uh-uh! First things first! Before we eat, let's all state our wishes for the year!" Minerva suggested.

"Hrrrnnnnn, fine, fine!" whined Daphne. "Daphne isn't a selfish girl! Daphne just wishes for a year full of delicious meals and new yummy food to try and discover. That's all~."

"Okay, I guess it's my turn. First, I wish for each one of us to have a wonderful year free of suffering!" Minerva started, raising a determined clenched fist. "Likewise, for Lia, Subaru, and everyone in the academy! And finally, I wish for the entire world to stop hurting each other so much! I want all forms of pain and suffering to disappear by the end of this year!" At this point, the overzealous blonde was standing up. "Otherwise, pain and suffering are going to bear my wrath because I'm going to beat the living hell out of them!"

"How noble of you," came Echidna's snide remark. "But please, I ask you to be careful about making such an outrageous wish like that…"

"Ugh! Mind your own wish, Echidna!"

"Oh? But now that you've mentioned it, I don't really have any particular wish for _this_ year. So, there's that, I suppose."

"Eh?!" Everyone, including Sekhmet, gasped collectively.

"Greedy Dona-Dona doesn't have a wish?!" asked Daphne in surprise.

"I can't feel her lying, you know," Typhon confirmed. "What is this? Has Dona finally decided to stop being evil?!"

"But, there must be something you really want. I mean, we all do…" Satella tried to reason.

" _Mind your own wish, elf_ ," Echidna quoted Minerva's earlier words to spite the half-elf. "It's not that I don't have a wish, but it's a wish that can _never_ be fulfilled within a year. It's my one and only wish, in fact. And if it can't be fulfilled within a year, then there's no point of declaring it as my wish for the year since logically speaking, we are only stating our wish for _this_ year alone, are we not?"

"Haa… Echidna… huu… it would be easier to just say… haa… that you don't want any of us… huu… to know about your wish… haa…" Sekhmet slowly and mercilessly exposed the real reason behind Echidna's supposed lack of wish.

"That's totally unfair!" complained Minerva. "Ugh! But then again, hearing about everyone else's wishes, while hiding her own, it's so Echidna to be this greedy!" All agreed with her. "Whatever! I'm sure it's nothing but trouble anyway! Let's move on!"

"My turn!" Typhon raised both arms in glee. "It would make me reeeeeally~ happy if there are less evil people in the world! Eviiiiil~ does nothing but cause chaos, you know~. Therefore, those who are evil must be judged accordingly!"

"Uhm... I just wish that… people would stop… bothering me… talking to me… pestering me… approaching me… touching me… looking at me… screaming at me…" Carmilla continued listing people's supposed violations against her. Her expression becomes more unsettling by the second. "If they don't… then… I wish… for those people… to just… disappear… and… die…"

"Urrnnnn… Milla-Milla can be so scary sometimes!" commented Daphne.

"Haa… what can I say? Huu… I wish for the year… haa… to be less bothersome as possible… huu… and for every one of us… haa… to be safe and make it out alive… huu… nothing else would make me happier…" Sekhmet ended her wish with a faint smile. As the eldest and only adult of the group, she bears the responsibility of looking after them.

"That's by far the most normal wish out of all of us but _you shouldn't trigger a death flag like that_ ," warned Echidna with a frown.

"Death flag?" Minerva raised an eyebrow, suspicious at the foreign phrase. "What's that supposed to mean? A flag that can trigger death? How does that even make sense?"

"It's nothing…"

"Oo-kay. Whatever. You say a lot of stupid nonsense anyway," dismissed the blonde.

As the girls went around and expressed their wishes for the year, Satella can't help but be reminded of their abnormal characteristics; Minerva's rage towards suffering, Daphne's struggles with hunger, Typhon's pride against those she deemed evil, Carmilla's extreme anti-social tendencies, Sekhmet's extreme sloth, and although she refused to state her wish, Echidna's inhuman capacity for knowledge.

They're far from what one would consider "normal behavior" for young women, to say the least. But then again, Satella also has her fair share of abnormality. In particular, the "inner voices" that occasionally harass her thoughts. Not to mention, her 'love' for Subaru, which often leads to the manifestation of "the voices" in the first place.

One has to wonder; how did _seemingly_ normal girls end up like this?

"It's Tella's turn!" Typhon reminded.

"Well, to be honest, I already have everything I could ask... for the most part. I have Subaru, my sister, and all of you." Satella smiled softly before her expression turned a little sour. "But even so, it's still far from perfect…"

The fact that she has to "share" Subaru with Emilia marks one of the few flaws in her otherwise perfect everyday life. She's not certain if she can ever overcome that hurdle.

"Regardless, I'm very satisfied with the life given to me! I could not ask for a better one. Although, if there's anything that would make it better… I do wish for **ALL** of us to get along." She finished off, intending to reach out to a _certain someone_ who dislikes her for no reason.

Echidna rolled her eyes and didn't bother to respond while everyone else supported and encouraged the wish.

"Alrighty, then! Let's enjoy ourselves with these treats!" proclaimed Minerva with the wish-making now out of the way.

As they indulge themselves in treats and pleasantries, Satella looks at each one of them in relief. She was greatly troubled when she thought she lost her friendship with them after her "betrayal." She makes a promise to herself that she will somehow make it up to them and regain their trust again.

When her gaze crossed with Echidna's, she was greeted with hostile eyes as she expected.

" _That reminds me… I really need to have a talk with her at some point. I don't know why she hates me so much…"_

For now, the girls continued on with their pleasant day. Surely, such a peaceful and heartwarming refrain won't last forever. After all, moments like these are destined to eventually burn in flames and drown in shadows.

* * *

"Haa… I suppose it's now time… huu… to discuss the elephant in the room… haa…" announced Sekhmet after they finished eating.

Everyone immediately understood what she alluded to; the discussion about what led Satella to her "betrayal."

Straightaway, after Sekhmet's announcement, the mood became tense.

"H-hey, does it have to be now?!" questioned Minerva. "Come on, let's not ruin this rare moment of tranquility! And maybe Satella is not ready to talk about it yet! We should give her time! I'm sure it can wait!"

The slothful woman's expression darkened, and her eyes narrowed. "Haa… while my heart was warmed upon spending time with Satella again… huu… let's not forget her actions… haa… could have led to our demise… huu… and until we know her motivation for what she did… haa… and depending on how malevolent her intentions were… huu… we could be facing… haa… in front of us… huu… inside our sanctuary… haa… **an enemy** … huu…" Her breathing grew more irregular as she spoke, causing her speech a great deal of difficulty.

While the lethargic Sekhmet tends to take a neutral stance, mostly due to indifference, in almost all issues in general, the plausible threat Satella poses to the girls turned her into an aggressor this time. Regardless, she genuinely hopes the half-elf was well-intentioned. But, she needed to put her personal feelings aside at the moment. She has Typhon and the other girls to protect, after all.

"Tella… mom…" Typhon glanced back and forth between the person she considered a mother, Sekhmet, and the person she considered an elder sister, Satella. For the first time in quite a while, the youngest of the group has a gloomy look on her face instead of her usual bright and happy one.

The green-haired girl isn't the only one affected by the sudden shift of mood. The discord caused Carmilla's hands to tremble. Somehow believing the illusion that her safety had been compromised, she grabbed the nearest knife near her.

"Carmilla, calm down!" Minerva quickly reacted before someone gets hurt. "We're not trying to fight! We're just trying to talk, okay?!" She slowly tried to approach her.

Carmilla gradually backed away from the blonde. "S… stay… away… from… me…" She pointed the knife towards her, warning her to back off.

"H-hey! Carmilla, please!" Despite a weapon being pointed towards the blonde, it didn't deter her from approaching the anti-social girl. "We're just talking… yes, we're just talking… we're not fighting… no one is going to suffer here, okay?"

The pinkette kept backing away until her back hits the wall. She drops the knife to the floor and her whole body starts to tremble.

Minerva hugged the frightened girl and whispered, "Don't worry. No one is going to hurt anyone here. We're friends. No. We're more than that. We're… family." She comforted the girl with earnest words. "Family don't hurt each other. You have no reason to be scared, Carmilla. No one is going to hurt anyone here…"

"O-o-okay…" Carmilla meekly nodded and returned the hug. "I… trust you… Minerva-chan…"

"How foolish of me… huu… to disregard Carmilla's circumstances… haa…" Sekhmet berated herself for momentarily forgetting about Carmilla's fear of tensive situations. "Maybe… huu… this can wait for another day, then… haa…" She conceded her interrogative stance towards Satella for the best of everyone.

"No, it's fine… I'm… I'm willing to talk about it, I want to talk about it with everyone," softly declared Satella with a sincere smile. "I've been waiting for the chan-"

She was interrupted mid-sentence when the sound of the front door opening and closing caught their attention.

It took them a few moments to gather their thoughts, looking at each other in confusion. Soon, they realize what just happened. Echidna, who had been strangely silent during the discussion regarding Satella, was missing from her seat. Thus, it can only be concluded she must have left a few seconds ago.

As usual, Minerva was the first to react to Echidna's deed. "Tsk! That girl! Of course, she's going to leave just when Satella finally wants to talk! Talk about rude!"

"Dona-Dona probably doesn't want to hear what Tella-Tella has to say, Daphne thinks," Daphne predicted rather accurately. "You know how Dona-Dona is when it comes to Tella-Tella."

Once again, the cold shoulder managed to make the silver-haired half-elf frown. Out of all the girls, she really wanted Echidna to hear her out the most, mainly because she REALLY didn't need Echidna resenting her more than she already did.

"I should go after her, I guess," volunteered Satella, feeling responsible for what happened… even though she really didn't do anything.

"Are you sure? I can go with you, you know." Minerva offered her assistance.

"Me too!" Typhon joined in.

"No…" Sekhmet dismissed their offered assistance. "We should leave this to them… huu… to fix whatever issue they have with each other… haa…"

"I don't have issues with her, she's the one who has issues with me." Satella corrected with a hint of irritation in her voice. "But, I will do my best to sort this out!" She assured them before leaving to go wherever Echidna went off to.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Minerva asked Sekhmet, worried about the two girls who are important to her. "Do you think they'll ever overcome the rift that divides them?"

"I don't know… haa…" The lazy woman answered honestly. "I doubt it… huu… but who knows…"

"Is that so…" The blonde frowned. "Some 'family' we are, huh?" She glanced at Carmilla who had long calmed down by now. "More like dysfunctional family…"

"I'm going to need a drink… haa… Typhon…" Sekhmet called the green-haired girl. "Get me a drink… haa… the really strong one… huu…"

"Oki-dokie!" Typhon obliged and grabbed one of the wines stored in the cabinets and delivered it to her "mother."

Upon receiving the beverage, Sekhmet opened it and poured it into her cup, mixing it with the remaining tea. Without a disregard for how the mixture would taste, she gulped the contents of the cup in one go. Then, seemingly not affected by the alcohol, she poured in another round.

"I need a drink too!" demanded Minerva.

"No… huu… you're underage…" Sekhmet denied her request. Besides, she really didn't want to deal with the blonde in her drunken state.

"I… I… want one… too…" Carmilla suddenly chimed in.

"Fine… haa… both of you can have one..." This time, the elder yielded rather easily. With Carmilla now demanding for a drink, she knew it would be a losing battle to reject both of their requests.

"Can Daphne and I have one too?" Typhon wanted to join with them. However, unlike the blonde and the pinkette, Sekhmet had always been adamant about letting the youngest drink. But maybe, Typhon hoped this time would be different.

"Daphne is really curious about it, you know~. What does it taste like? Does it taste yummy? Why are only adults allowed to drink? Why do most people become really funny when they drink? Is there something special about it?" Daphne asked a flurry of questions.

"Haa… no, and that's final…" Sekhmet stood firm with her decision, giving them both a hard look. "Huu… now stop bothering me… haa… and find something else to do…"

"No fair!" Typhon complained. "Neru and Milla are underage too but you let them drink! Being unfair means evil, mommy! You are evil, mommy!"

Knowing that her "mother" won't change her mind, the now rebellious Typhon pouted and resorted to playing with Daphne and the rabbits again.

With the young ones now out of the way, the three remaining witches in the roundtable proceeded to drink in pleasure. But deep inside their minds, their thoughts were preoccupied with Satella and Echidna's never-ending complications.

* * *

Once Satella stepped outside, she found Echidna leaning against the building with her arms crossed.

"My, you're quite the stubborn one, aren't you?" She immediately hurled her insult as soon as the half-elf was within her line of sight. "Or maybe, for you to chase after someone who has clearly expressed her disgust for you, you must be too much of an egotistical brat to ignore the obvious message."

"I…" Satella started rather dejectedly. But then, she decided enough is enough. She glared at the girl in front of her straight on with resolute eyes. "Or maybe, I'm just tired of being treated with hostility for reasons I do not even know! Tell me, what is the reason behind your hatred for me, Echidna? And please, do not use my 'betrayal' as an excuse because you already hated me before then!"

Even the half-elf herself was surprised how straightforward she was. Perhaps, the girl really did push her patience to its limits.

To say nothing of Echidna who was taken off-guard by the half-elf once again. She expected she would stammer nervously like she usually does. Certainly, she would have found that pleasing and pathetic at the same time! So, to witness this side of the half-elf, it's quite worrisome. The silver elf had resolute eyes that conveyed her desire to know the truth.

"An egotistical brat, indeed. Very well. I shall enlighten you with _some_ truth. But, it's best if we take this discussion elsewhere. We wouldn't want any unwanted ears listening, no?"

Satella nodded in agreement.

"Although, I do warn you. You are **not** going to like what I'm going to say. So, if you want to cower away from the truth, now is your final chance to do so."

* * *

After Satella acknowledged Echidna's warning, they ended up in the fields behind the academy.

With no other visible human around the area, along with the cover of the night, it's the perfect place for them to have their "talk" without any interruptions, or unwanted ears. Additionally, the fields, illuminated by the crescent moon, look rather scenic with all the blooming flowers of spring.

"I'll start." Satella got straight to the point. There's no turning back now. "First, I want to tell you why I needed to do what I did, why I _had_ to 'betray' the team to Flugel."

"By chance, is it because Flugel confirmed the existence of the Witches of Lugnica to be true? And not only that, but he also figured out our identities as well. So, as a dear acquaintance of yours, he approached you, and then he blackmailed you into leading us to him, so he may turn us into his personal lackeys, yes? And now, here we all are! Hence, Satella is innocent, faultless, and she just wanted to protect us! It's wonderful how everything turned out, isn't it?" Echidna ended her speech with a devious smile.

While it's true Satella did found her resolve, she was completely dumbfounded – because everything Echidna said, word for word, was exactly what happened.

Now, it begs the question,

"H-h-"

"How did I know?" Echidna, who had been controlling the flow of the conversation since the beginning, interrupted once again. "Hmm, let's see. Would you believe me if I tell you I deduced all of it? Or maybe, I performed an investigation? Or perhaps, I'm a traveler of space and time?!"

"T-t-"

"Outrageous, isn't it? But wouldn't you agree life would be more interesting IF that is the case? Unfortunately, however, it's nothing like that. Do you really want to know what happened?"

Satella is growing annoyed Echidna has her dancing around her fingers again, but she nods nonetheless.

"It's simple, really. Okay, let's take deduction, investigation, and time-space travel out of the equation. Can you think of a plausible explanation how I came to know of it?"

The half-elf thought deeply about it. Unfortunately, nothing substantial came up. How else would Echidna come to know of it, leaving deduction, investigation, and time-space travel aside? In the end, the best she can come up with is a silly,

"Uhm, I don't know, did you, perhaps, somehow eavesdrop on our conversation when he blackmailed me? I mean, that must be the reason why you wanted to talk in a place where no one can hear us because you've experienced it first-hand… or maybe that was just to give me a hint, I don't know…" The half-elf felt extremely stupid.

And Echidna didn't hesitate to let her know how stupid she found her to be.

"If only your brain is as large as your ego." Echidna sighed in disappointment. "As I've said, it's simple. How else would I realistically come to know of it, really? Well, let me tell you; it's because I have been working with Flugel in the first place! While I still don't like that crafty bastard, we have long been acquainted with one another. So, we made a deal. In exchange for my cooperation, I needed his 'assistance' to get you off the team. Then, the rest, as they say, is history. And why would I do that, you ask? Why would I willingly cooperate with the bastard just to get rid of you? I mean, isn't it obvious? It's because I hate you!"

Satella was in a state of shock, to put it loosely. She's unable to move nor form any sort of response at the moment. This development was the last thing she expected.

Echidna had been working with Flugel all along... to get her out of the group.

"I did warn you're not going to like what I have to say, didn't I?"

"… That's how it is, huh?" The half-elf was finally able to muster some words. "Heheh…" A dark giggle escaped her lips.

All this time, she had greatly worried and doubted she was ever going to reconcile her relationship with the witches. Even in her mind, she saw her "betrayal" as an unforgivable act, regardless of her reasons. But now, she knows that it wasn't her who betrayed them. Rather, it was Echidna who betrayed her.

"Typhon, Minerva, Sekhmet, Daphne, and Carmilla - it may not always be sunshine between us, but I consider them to be my only genuine friends. Your endeavors could have very well caused a permanent fracture to my friendship with them. It must have been very amusing for you, wasn't it, Echidna?"

Indeed, it was Echidna who tampered with her friendship with the witches, an essential part of the everyday life she treasures so much; an act which crossed the line.

"To think, I wanted to be friends with you… even if you hated me, even if you hurled countless insults and words of mockery towards me, I didn't want to give up pursuing that elusive friendship…"

"That's cute, but I would have preferred if you hadn't involved yourself with us. You should have stayed away and minded your own business."

"I could have… maybe I should have… maybe it would have been best for me if that was the case, but I don't regret any of it. If I hadn't involved myself in your affairs, I would have never made so many wonderful memories with everyone. And to be honest, I admired you a lot. Despite your age, you're so very capable, intelligent, and you always carry yourself with grace and maturity. However,"

Like a fragile mirror, all good-will and positive image she had of the white-haired girl were stained by black and shattered into thousands fragmented pieces.

"I now realize that you don't care about anyone but yourself. You have been toying around with my life, and you almost took away something that's precious to me. That is something I cannot overlook. Even the way you interact with everyone, it seems to me you always keep a distance – controlling, manipulating."

As she listened on, Echidna let out an amused smile. "That's some damning accusation, you know. But, you're entitled to believe whatever you'd like, so I won't bother." She ended her statement with a nonchalant shrug.

The half-elf directed the full intensity of her glare towards the girl. "After all that you've done, there's no doubt in my mind, **you have become my enemy, Echidna**." She declared with no hesitation.

Echidna returned the glare to the half-elf, matching her intensity. "I see. That's the decision you made."

"You are an enemy I have to defeat if I'm to keep my everyday life intact – I know that now."

"But do you believe you can defeat me?"

"Well, I do have the information of your treachery. There's no stopping me from exposing it the girls, is there? Once they learn of it, there's no doubt they're going to take my side and that would make defeating you easier."

"Oh, is that a threat? I admit that's a solid strategy, especially for someone as dimwitted as you. But, something tells me you're not going to do that."

Satella frowned. Indeed, Echidna exposed her bluff. "Yeah… actually, I'm saving it as a last resort, but I would rather not have it come to that. Even then, I'm probably not going to be able to do it. For one, I would like to spare them from the massive disappointment. But more importantly, the revelation would destroy the group to the point of no return and I don't want that. So, for the time being, I'll just tell them about Flugel's blackmail and leave your involvement out of it. I'm going to defeat you in another way. I don't know how, but trust me, I will find a way."

"You're really stupid." Echidna sighed, almost feeling pity for the half-elf. "Well, do whatever you want. I already wasted a lot of productive time by having a conversation with you. We should go back now."

The way Echidna, unfazed and cool as always, easily handled all of her attempted threats was a cruel reminder to Satella about the gap between them. She's beginning to doubt if she's really capable of winning against someone who's "too perfect."

"Wait. Before that. You still haven't answered my question. Why do you hate me, Echidna?" The half-elf recalled the reason why they're having this conversation in the first place.

An unreadable smile – be it of sorrow, disdain, anger, fear, or relief – arose in Echidna's face.

"Because you are my biggest regret and you will continue to be… _forever._ "

"What... do you mean by that?"

"Do you know... that eventually, **you will kill your dearest friends and destroy half of the world**?"

"W-what? T-that's..."

"As a 'seer,' that's the 'prophecy' I have for you."

Satella's first instinct was to deny Echidna's prediction. She wanted to convince herself that what Echidna said was nothing but utter nonsense. And yet, somehow, an unknown influence prevented her from dismissing them. Something within her compelled her to believe that Echidna's prediction was indeed a fact, or will be a fact.

All at once, a flurry of images was drilled into her mind. They were so chaotic and simultaneous that she wasn't able to process and observe any of them, overloading her mind. There was a commonality in them, however; blood, shadows, and darkness. In every image she saw, there was blood, shadow, and darkness. Unable to handle the overabundance of disturbing images, she clutches her head with both hands.

"W-what are these?! What is the meaning of this?!" She asked, fearful of the images.

Suddenly, a dark purple aura began surrounding her entire body. Wide-eyed, she looks at the girl in front of her.

With no recognizable emotion on her face, Echidna walks and stops just a few inches away from Satella. Likewise, a mixture of black and white aura began to surround her body. With the soulless glare of her black eyes, she reveals to the half-elf,

"Oh, but you have nothing to worry about, _Satella_ _._ Because you know, I have always perceived _you_ as my enemy. _You_ will always, forever be, my enemy. And I, [The Witch of Greed], will stop at nothing until I completely destroy **_you._**"

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an ethereal white butterfly fluttered its wings across the space that separates them.


	6. Chapter 5: The Sage and His Apprentice

**A/N  
**

 **\- Cool  
Don't worry. I hate harem and polygamy too. That's all I'm going to say. lol**

 **\- yuukiko  
Yeah. A huge consistent focus of this story will be Satella and Echidna's constantly evolving relationship and attitudes towards each other. Whether it ends in a happy ending or not is another story though. :3**

 **Anyway, just a brief chapter to wrap up the 1st arc~.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Sage and His Apprentice  
Arc I Epilogue**

* * *

Prison Tower, Lugnica City  


Inside Lugnica's most infamous prison, the Prison Tower, reserved for the worst of criminals and political criminals, the Sage, Flugel, and his assistant, Shaula, make their way towards the cell of Regulus Corneas; the man who kidnapped and attempted a forced marriage on the half-elf, Emilia of the Elior faction, a little more than two weeks ago.

However, Regulus wasn't convicted for his misdeeds regarding the half-elf. Instead, he was convicted for the murders and mayhem he caused at the marketplace. After all, the information about what truly happened still remains undisclosed.

"Welcome, welcome! Nice to see you again! I really appreciate your visits, I really do!" With his golden eyes sparkling like a child's, Regulus greeted his guests upon their arrival. "If there are more well-mannered people such as yourself, the world would be a much better place!"

"Hello, Regulus." Flugel greeted back with a smile. "Have you been doing alright?"

"Oh, no, no, no. Not at all! I'm trapped inside this prison, you know? I'm deprived of my freedom, which is a serious violation of my rights. Not to mention, the guards are all ill-mannered mutes. I try to greet and strike a conversation with them, but none of them ever respond! Talk about serious lack of manners. So, no. Unfortunately, I can't say I'm doing alright."

"How regrettable. Are you being fed well and taken care of, at least?"

"Yes, yes. But while they bring me sufficient meals per day, the food doesn't taste anywhere near decent. Seriously, whoever's in charge of this place has an atrocious sense of taste! I consider this to be another violation of my rights. My tongue holds the right to experience only satisfactory and proper food."

The Sage placed a finger against his chin. "That is a problem, indeed. I can't promise you anything, but I'll see what I can do about it."

"Much appreciated, Sage. You truly are a kind, honorable man."

Meanwhile, the Sage's apprentice, Shaula, is growing annoyed by the rather pleasant conversation. She can only tolerate the farcical conversation, masked with smiles and pleasantries, for so long.

"Ah, what the heck! Both of you, enough of your crap!" She cursed both men. "Let's get straight to the point." Her intense glare landed on Regulus. "Unless if I'm mistaken and you're actually a complete dumbo, you know what we're really here for. Start talking."

Ever since Regulus was arrested by the knights, Flugel has been occasionally visiting him in an attempt to extract information out of him. He's been trying to unearth the real motive behind Regulus' action as well as other possible "connections," such as how he ended up with the artifact, the Ring of Greed. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten anything useful out of him. Thus, he decided to take a "friendly" approach. However, it appears Shaula might have spoiled that approach already.

Regulus frowned slightly. "What's more to talk about? As I've already stated, I wanted to marry the silver-haired elf because I like her face. It's absurd how exercising my right to love led me to imprisonment."

"Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt your love for the half-elf at all." The Sage accepted with his reasoning. "But I'm curious, how did you find out about her in the first place? Did _someone_ tell you about her? Did _someone_ give you an order to capture her? Perhaps, that _someone_ is an acquaintance from, let's say, a group of friends? An organization? Or perhaps, even _a_ _cult_? But then again, maybe the faithful moment you first laid your eyes upon her truly was a coincidence. Although, I'm not a believer in coincidences. I'm someone who believes there's a reason for everything that happens. So, do forgive my suspicions if they prove to be unwarranted."

"A cult... you say?"

Thanks to the keyword, _cult_ , Regulus was certain Flugel might have already figured out the extent of his involvement. Actually, he guessed Flugel was probably just toying around with him until he gives in. Thus, he decided there's no point in playing dumb anymore.

An irksome smile rose on his face. A smile that most people would wish to wipe out with a resounding punch to the face.

"Heheheh, you live up to your reputation, Sage. I've heard of you before. The Sage who can tackle and solve any and every mystery, apparently. At first, I thought those rumors were bullshit, but it seems there's some truth to them."

"I'm flattered, but I'm not as great as you think I am. I simply take advantage of the _resources_ at my disposal. Anyway, I take it you're admitting to my suspicion of your involvement with some sort of a large-scale group, then?"

"I suppose you earned the right to be rewarded, Sage. Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Regulus Corneas, an archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing the sin of Greed." He reintroduced himself with a fancy bow.

"Witch Cult, huh? As I suspected." The Sage mused with satisfaction. His face didn't express any surprise at all despite the major revelation.

However, the same can't be said about Shaula. The air around the apprentice suddenly changed.

"Witch Cult." She hissed under her breath. "Now that I know of your involvement with those bunch of no-good vile scoundrels, you are going to spill EVERYTHING you know of them!" She demanded. A hint of wrath glints in her jade eyes.

Regulus was slightly taken aback by the sudden threat. Nevertheless, he didn't falter one bit and he continues on with his smile that can only be described as irksome.

"And this is where you're mistaken, lady. I have the right to remain silent. I'm not obligated to answer any of your questions."

"Heh, is that so?! Well, if you don't have anything else to say, this makes you nothing more than a disposable trash!"

Wide-eyed and face full of malice, a hint of madness was displayed in Shaula's expression.

She raised an arm. Then, it was subsequently followed by the build-up of a sharp icicle in front of her. Her fingers formed the shape of a gun. And with a somewhat maniacal grin, she intends to ruthlessly pierce the greedy man in front of her.

Before she can send the icicle charging towards Regulus, however, Flugel grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm down.

"Shaula, enough!"

"W-whoa!" Regulus gasped dramatically. "D-did you just try to attack me?! Me?! A defenseless man! Seriously! What the heck is up with women these days?!" He pointed an accusatory finger towards her. "You're the third woman who tried to attack a defenseless me with killer intent! Is this some sort of a recent trend or what?!"

"Come on, Shaula. Let's go." Flugel began dragging his apprentice out of the room before things really escalate. "Do forgive her attitude, Regulus. She's _really_ not fond of the cult."

Before she was completely dragged out of the room, Shaula sent one final menacing glare. A warning. A warning that told him, the next time she sees him, he won't make it out alive.

With his "guests" gone, Regulus let out an exhausted sigh before settling down on the floor and leaning against the wall.

"Women are so rude these days."

Commencing a monologue, he recalled the events that took place two weeks ago.

"First, there's that greedy white-haired bitch who claimed to be [The Witch]. Bullshit, I say! There's only _one true Witch!_ She, the princess of darkness, whom the cult revere. _The one true Witch_. Then, there's that silver-haired bitch who had the audacity to pretend to be my bride! She did all of that to trick me! Are you kidding me?! Although, it's most curious how she looks exactly just like my bride! What kind of sorcery is that?! And finally, of course, there's that girl a while ago. What an annoying show-off. Why is she dressed so inappropriately?! She barely wears anything! I can't believe someone as respectful as the Sage lets her dress like that."

"They're all just – ugh!" He grabbed a handful of his white hair with both hands in frustration. "Just a bunch of rude women who have no regard for a man's rights!"

"Seriously, all I wanted to do was marry that lovely silver elf. Is that too much to ask?! Why do I have to deal with all this bullshit?! I don't really give a damn about the cult and their stupid goals! Showing me a portrait of that lovely half-elf and commanding me, with no regards to my rights, by the way, to 'bring her to us!' But of course, the half-elf has such a pretty face that I couldn't do that, and I chose to marry her instead! But, wait, wait, hold on a minute."

He briefly paused his monologue as he came to a new realization.

"What if… what if the other silver-haired half-elf, the one who shares my bride's face, the one cladded in black, is the one the cult wanted?"

* * *

After their brief encounter with Regulus, Flugel and Shaula settled at a café near the area to calm down the raging apprentice.

This is nothing unusual for both of them. Whether it's to discuss important matters and refresh themselves or loiter around for no reason, going to the café is a frequent habit that's a staple of their relationship.

"Echidna was right when she said talking to that man would be a waste of time." Shaula, who accompanied Flugel's visit to Regulus for the first time, admitted bitterly.

"I wouldn't say it's a complete waste of time. After all, we're now certain he's a member of the Witch Cult now that he admitted to it. I had my suspicions, but I needed him to confirm it himself. That fact alone opens up many possibilities and connections. Although, we're left with even more questions than answers. Well, it is what it is. I believe everything will be solved in due course."

He pauses for a moment, taking a sip out of his cup, before continuing.

"Your actions, however, were very reckless. You've antagonized him and as a result, he'll be less cooperative next time."

"But what's the point of keeping that scum alive, master? Do you really believe he has any remaining useful information to tell us?"

"He's a useful source of information, Shaula. And without the peculiar Ring of Greed, he's rather harmless, even if he somehow escapes. It's more beneficial to keep him alive."

The apprentice let out an annoyed huff. "Fine. I'm sorry. I'll try to do better next time."

"It's fine. Don't beat yourself too much over it," assured the Sage with a smile.

"It's just that… I lost control of my emotions when he mentioned he's part of that Cult… the Cult that took everything away from me… I would like nothing more than to see every single member of that garbage Cult burned and destroyed..."

"I understand how you feel. But it's important to always maintain a composed mind, _especially_ _if the means to achieve your goals clash against your principles_."

"... _if it clashes against my principles..."_ She repeated his words in whispers. "Composure, huh?"

Suddenly, her thoughts shifted to a certain white-haired witch who can be considered the very definition of "composure." Feeling disgusted, she dispels those thoughts away.

Afterward, they momentarily halted their conversation as they happily indulge in the refreshments they ordered from the café. Until eventually, something else of wonder came up within the apprentice's mind.

"Master, are you really sure the girls have nothing to do with the Cult?" She asked after taking a long slurp of her drink.

"I'm certain of it. The Witch Cult existed before the girls even started _acting_ as witches. Thus, we can undoubtedly conclude the Cult aren't influenced by their actions."

"But that's not what I'm asking. I mean, what if it's the other way around? What if the girls are the ones influenced by them? Have you considered the possibility they might be members of the Cult? Or perhaps, sympathizers of the Cult? Hence, the reason why they refer to themselves as witches in the first place."

"No, not at all."

She gritted her teeth in frustration. "How can you place blind faith in them, master?! This is so unlike you!"

"Will you be satisfied if I tell you, _I believe in them_?"

"Are you kidding me?! Of course not!"

When it pertains to the witches, the apprentice's frustration with the Sage continues to grow with each passing day. She had always trusted her master's judgement, but she finds it irritating how he doesn't even have a trace of lingering doubt about the witches.

It happened that one day, seemingly out of nowhere, when Flugel informed her he solved the witch rumors. Not only did he confirm their existence to be true, but they're also going to start working for him to solve occult-related issues around the kingdom, claiming they will help him achieve a _better_ Kingdom of Lugnica in the foreseeable future.

But of course, she also has no idea about Flugel and Echidna's backdoor Contract.

And perhaps, it's due to paranoia, but she REALLY hated how there are other girls now serving under him.

Ultimately, more than any of the girls combined, there's one person she blames the most.

"It's that girl, isn't it?" She spat, too disgusted to mention the girl's name for the second time today. "Don't you dare think I didn't notice when it seems to me you're always so damn fixated on her for whatever reason!"

It goes without saying they both know who she's referring to; Echidna. While she might have no idea about their backdoor dealings, she always has her suspicions about the witch.

"So, you've noticed. I'm surprised. You're much more perspective than I expected. As your master, I'm very proud."

"Don't dance around the issue, master. Just what the heck is your relationship with her?!"

"Heh, there's no way for me to get around this, is there?"

"No!"

"Well, I guess you can say we're some sort of… _kindred spirits_."

"Kindred spirits?"

"Yes, kindred spirits. Nothing more, nothing less."

Silence.

And then,

"Haa… haa… HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She burst out laughing. "Seriously, you're just both trying to make one another dance to your sweet melodies, aren't you?! Well, whatever! At least now I know who _I should look out for_!"

"I fail to see what's so amusing, but I'm glad you appear to be happy and excited about it."

"Oh, believe me, I REEEEALLY dislike her even more than I did minutes ago!"

This time, the Sage can't help but sigh. "Just make sure to play nice, please? As I told you earlier; _composure_. That would be your lesson for today, my apprentice."

"Oh, _composure_ , I'll try it, alright! But I can't promise you anything!" With a lovely wink, she continued indulging in her refreshments.

With the issue resolved at the moment by virtue of mutual understanding, Flugel joined with her.

And thus, the Sage and his apprentice spent a pleasant time together until the darkness of night overwhelmed the skies.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sooo, next chapter would be the start of Arc 2.**

 **The 1st arc is mainly introduction. But, there were so many things I wish I could have done better or done differently. But whatever. I'm still going to rework a lot of it at some point. :3**

 **Btw, I'm also going to start writing my other fic again for those who kept up with it before! Though, I'm starting it over from scratch again. lol**


End file.
